V
MY GARDEN.
MY GARDEN
ITS PLAN AND CULTURE
TOGETHER WITH
A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ITS
GEOLOGY, BOTANY, AND NATURAL HISTORY
ALFRED SMEE, F.R.S.
Fellow of the Royal Collage of Surgeons of England ;
Fellow of the Chemical Society; Fellow of the Horticultural Society;
.M'"inb,'r of the Scientific and Fruit Committees of the Horticultural Xocir
Medical Officer of the Bank of England ;
ILLUSTRATED WITH ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY
ENGRA VINGS
Meya'Aa *at davfiacrra TO. tpya (rov, Kvpic 6 Qeos o TravroKparop.
REV. xv. 3.
LONDON
BELL AND DALDY, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN
NEW YORK
SCRIBNER, WELFORD, AND ARMSTRONG
1872
Add'l
ELIZABETH
WHO HAS EVER
PROMOTED MY STUDIES
SHARED MY ANXIETIES AND CARES
AND PARTICIPATED WITH ME IN THE DELIGHTS
THIS DISCOURSE IS DEDICATED
BY HER -.^
AFFECTIONATE HUSBAND ^—^
,-
ALFRED SMEE
536
PREFACE.
" In the country 'tis true ye have woods, gardens, springs, and bronks
that may entertain the eye, but these are all mute, and there's no edifica-
tion without discourse." — ERASMUS.
^HE purpose of this book is to discourse on " My
-*• Garden," the more important plants growing in it, and
the manner in which they are cultivated. It also treats of
all objects appertaining to my garden.
My garden is an experimental garden, designed to obtain
information; and it is also a practical garden, from which my
residence in London is exclusively supplied with vegetals, fruit,
and flowers.
I have required, and received, assistance in all the depart-
ments of nature which have come within the scope of my
discourse. From Dr. Gray, of the British Museum, the veteran
of natural history, I have ever received the kindest considera-
tion and aid, and especially on the present occasion on matters
connected with the land and fresh-water shells. Dr. Giinther,
also of the British Museum, has given me the fullest aid upon
questions appertaining to fresh-water fish. Mr. Woodward
has rendered his valuable assistance on geological questions ;
a 2
viii MY GARDEN.
and the gentlemen having charge of the numismatic and
archaeological departments have kindly afforded me information
upon these subjects. Dr. Birch has kindly given me the
result of his extensive knowledge ; and Mr. Herbert Grueber
has materially aided in the verification of references.
Sir Henry James, with his customary urbanity, has
obliged me by supplying from the Ordnance Survey Office
the geological map of the district as well as that of the
section of the London Basin. The geological section of my
garden was made for me by Mr. Alfred Tyler, of Shipley
House, Carshalton ; and the Map of the District was rectified
to the present time by Mr. Addy, the former Resident
Engineer to the Croydon Board of Works.
I have also to acknowledge the kindness of Dr. Hooker,
the Director of the Royal Gardens at Kew, who has supplied
me with plants, and information on many botanical questions-
To Mr. Terry, of Peterborough House, Fulham, I have
been indebted over a series of years for a variety of plants
and also for illustrations for this work.
Mr. Addy has given me information upon his important
Roman and Anglo-Saxon discoveries at Beddington, and I am
also indebted to him for the accurate drawings with which
he has supplied me.- From Mr. Flower, the distinguished
antiquary, I have also received important information
and aid.
Mrs. Jackson, of Carshalton, supplied the drawing of the
mill on the Wandle (plate 7), and Mrs. Home, of Staines,
made from photographs the beautiful drawing of the road
which skirts my garden, and of the summer-house ; the same
lady also designed the border for the Dedication.
PREFACE. ix
Several of the drawings of aphides were executed by Mr.
Buckton, who is preparing a monograph on those creatures.
Although a large majority of the drawings were executed
from objects procured directly from my garden, yet Dr.
Boisduval, the distinguished author of the " Essai sur 1'Ento-
mologie Horticole," gave me his permission to copy such figures
in his admirable wrork as were applicable to this volume.
Messrs. Blackie were also so kind as to permit me to use
several illustrations from the important treatise of Mr. Curtis
on " Insects injurious to the Farmer/'
My daughter Elizabeth Mary has rendered valuable assist-
ance by tracing back the historical subjects to their origin, in
Chapter I., and also by compiling and writing the Chapter on
the Gardens of Various Nations. I am also indebted to her
for the Analytical Index.
My son Alfred Hutchison rendered me much information
in the section upon Birds ; and supplied the specimens for
the figures, and generally superintended their execution.
Without his general aid this book could not have been
produced.
The artistic drawings of the various views in " my garden "
were made by Mr. H. Robertson, and the faithful manner in
which Mr. Palmer has rendered them needs no commendation.
The drawings for many of the smaller vignettes were executed
by Mr. Holloway, and engraved by Mr. Harrison.
The general botanical drawings have been made and
engraved by Mr. Worthington Smith, the fungologist, who not
only drew and engraved one thousand of the woodcuts from
nature, but has also rendered frequent and valuable botanical
assistance.
MY GARDEN.
During the preparation of this work many other dis-
tinguished friends have given rne their help, which has been
acknowledged in the text.
Great as has been the aid which has been afforded to me,
considerable as has been the time and labour bestowed
upon this work in my leisure moments, long as has been the
time over a series of many years during which my obser-
vations have extended, and notwithstanding that its pre-
paration has been a pleasure, as a labour of love, and a
relaxation from more serious duties, — yet it falls far short of
that ideal perfection which I may conceive in my mind, but
which I have been unable to realize with my pen.
7, FINSBURY CIRCUS,
May 1 8, 1872.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
SITUATION OF MY GARDEN.— Beddington in the Celtic period. — Beddington in the
Roman period. — Beddington in the Anglo-Saxon period.— Beddington in the
Mediaeval period.— Beddington Church.— Wallington.— Beddington at the present
time Pages I — 19
CHAPTER II.
GEOLOGY OF MY GARDEN.— The River Wandle Pagts 20—36
CHAPTER. III.
GENERAL PLAN OF MY GARDEN Pages 37 — 46
CHAPTER IV.
PRINCIPLES OF GARDENING Pages 47 — 55
CHAPTER V.
MY GARDEN TOOLS Pages 56—66
CHAPTER VI.
MY FRAMES AND GLASS-HOUSES.— Ventilation of Glass-houses.— Warming of Glass-
houses Pages 67—82
CHAPTER VII.
THE PROPAGATION OF PLANTS Pages 83--9I
CHAPTER VIII.
GARDEN VEGETALS.— Salad Plants.— Leguminous Plants.— Spinaceous Vegetals.—
The Cabbage Tribe.— Seakale, Asparagus, Artichokes, &c.— The Alliaceous Plants
— Marrows and Pumpkins.— Culinary Roots and Tubers. — Herbs and Aromatic
Plants.— Rhubarb Pages 92— 136
MY GARDEN.
CHAPTER IX.
MY FRUIT GARDEN.— The Apple.— The Medlar.— The Pear.— The Quince. The
Plum. — The Apricot. — The Peach and the Nectarine. — Cherries. — Currants. —
Gooseberries. — Strawberries. — Raspberries. — Grape Vines. — Melons. — Nuts. —
Walnuts. — Chestnuts. — Almonds. — Oranges and Lemons. — The Custard Apple. —
Figs. — The Mulberry. — The Prickly Pear. — Anaspole Japonica, or Loquat. — The
Banana. — The Edible Passion-flower. — The Pomegranate. — Eugenia Ugni. — The
Cape Gooseberry. — The Cranberry. — The Cloudberry. — The Whortleberry.—
The Dewberry. — The Berberry. — The Elderberry. — The Stoneberry. — Pine
Apple Pages 137 — 209
CHAPTER X.
GENERAL FLOWER GARDEN. — Bulbous Plants. — Perennial Plants. — Bedding Plants.
— Annuals. — Biennials. — Greenhouse Plants. — Stove Plants . . Pages 210— 267
CHAPTER XI.
SPECIAL FLOWER GARDEN, ETC. — The Rosaries. — Climbing Plants.— Orchids.—
Alpine Flowers.— Ornamental Grasses.— Weeds and Wild Plants.— The Algae.
— Mosses. — Lichens.— Liverworts. — Fungi. — My Ferneries. — Lycopods, or Club
Mosses.— Marsileas.— Selaginellas.— Horse-tails Pages 268—408
CHAPTER XII.
MY FOREST TREES.— Shrubs Pages 409 --444
CHAPTER XIII.
THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. — The Animalcules in the Water. — Polypi. — Worms. —
Leeches. — Fresh-water Sponge. — Crustacea. — Fleas. — Parasites. — Entozoa. — Mites.
— Plant Mites, or Red Spiders. — Centipedes and Millipedes. — The Garden
Insects: Hymenoptera ; Beetles, or Coleoptera ; Orthoptera; Hemiptera ; Neu-
roptera ; Lepidoptera ; Diptera. — Slugs and Snails. — My Fishery. — Reptiles. —
My Garden Animals. — The Birds Pages 445 — 555
CHAPTER XIV.
THE CLIMATE AND SPRING FROSTS.— The Great Frost of May 1867. Pages 556—561
CHAPTER XV.
GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS Pages 562—596
CALENDAR Pages 597— 628
INDEX Ajgrj 629— 650
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PLATES.
•I. ATE
i. — VIEW OF TtfE PEAR-TREE WALK FROM THE VALLEY OF FERNS (Front.}. It shows
how particularly satisfying to the eye is a straight line in its proper place. This is the
longest straight line in the Garden, and extends parallel with the beautiful grove of
trees in Bedclington Park. In early spring it is attractive, and in summer the arches
of roses are charming. It contrasts with the curved lines of other paths, and h.is the
merit of being the right design for the situation.
2. — PLAN OF THE GARDEN (/. i).
3. — MAP OF THE DISTRICT, 2 inches to the mile (/. 6).
4. — SECTION OF THE STRATA OF THE LONDON BASIN FROM NORTH TO SOUTH, FROM
EAST GRINSTEAD IN KENT TO BOLTON IN BEDFORDSHIRE (/. 21). The strata
consists of London clay, Lower Tertiary beds, chalk, Upper Greensand, Gault, Lower
Greensand ; and Wealden clay on the south, and Kimmeridge clay on the north. My
Garden is placed on the Lower Tertiary beds, a few feet above the chalk. The section
of the strata through the garden shows its position on a more enlarged scale on the
Lower Tertiary beds, and indicates the manner in which the chalk comes to the surface
to the south, and dips under the blue clay to the north.
5.— GEOLOGICAL MAP OF THE DISTRICT (/. 21), showing the various strata on the surface,
and the contour lines of the hills. The scale is 4 miles to the inch.
6. — VIEW OF BEDDINGTON CHURCH (/. 19) as seen across Beddington Park, from the
north bank of the lake in my Garden. It shows the lake-like effect of the mill head.
7.— SCENE ON THE WANDLE (/. 27). The snuff-mill at Carshalton, in the occupation ot
Mr.Ansell.
8.— A VIEW OF THE FERN GLEN AND GLEN BOWER (p. 40). This is traversed by a stream
which is crossed by a bridge. A specimen of a Lady-fern and of an Osmunda of the
largest size are shown on the left.
9.— ANOTHER VIEW OF THE FERN GLEN, LOOKING WEST (/. 40), showing the manner
in which an illuminated spot is seen through a dark vista, whereby a beautiful effect of
sunshine is secured.
10. — -VALLEY OF FERNS (/. 42). This has a little stream through its centre, and at the
further end a raised seat which looks over the ferns, and commands a view of Bed-
dington Park. A Codrus deodara is an object of beauty, and the ferns are screened
from cold winds, but not overshadowed with trees.
ii. — THE CROQUKT LAWN (//. 38, 44). The plate does not do justice to the position, as it
rather depicts a game of croquet than a picturesquely situated croquet-ground.
MY GARDEN.
PLATE
12. — VIEW OF THE LARGE SUMMER-HOUSE (/. 44), wherein we receive our friends when
they visit the Garden. It is simply a thatched structure of the simplest possible
description.
13. — VIEW OF THE REED BRIDGE, OVER THE CENTRAL STREAM, NEAR THE ALPINERY
(/. 44). It shows the value of the Reed as a picturesque plant.
14. — PAPER MILL AS SEEN FROM THE NORTH BANK OF THE LAKE (/. 44) in summer,
when the Conferva spiralis forms a scum on the surface of the water.
15. — VIEW OF THE MILL TAIL AT WALLINGTON BRIDGE (/. 44).
16. — VIEW FROM THE SOUTH BANK ACROSS THE LAKE (p. 45 ). It shows the character
which an occasional tree of the Lombardy Poplar gives to a landscape. These trees
were nearly 100 feet high, but have been blown down since the picture was painted.
17. — VIEW OF THE RIVER IN BEDDINGTON PARK (p. 45) before the course of the river
was diverted from its curve. This view afforded the most beautiful picture of a babbling
trout stream in the vicinity of the metrcpolis. It is a scene of the past, which has been
preserved by a photograph taken by my son.
18. — VIEW OF THE BACKWATER (/. 39), exhibiting the noble foliage of the Petasites vul-
garis growing on the bank.
19. — INTERIOR OF THE GLASS FERNERY (p. 73) as seen immediately on entering the house,
looking towards the tropical end. On the right is depicted a remarkable specimen of
Adiantum cuneatum, and the little bird on the floor is one of those caught during severe
frost, and placed in the house to clear off the insects.
20. — EEL-TRAP AND BACKWATER (p. 39), as seen from the front of the Vinery ; the effect
produced by the Pampas grass is seen to the left.
21. — MOONLIGHT SCENE. (/. 410) presented by the landscape looking across the lake in
August from the front of the Orchard House.
22. — VIEW FROM THE WILLOW BOWER IN WINTER (/. 628), looking towards
Beddington Park, when the ground was covered with snow. The weird old dead
trees have since been removed.
VIGNETTES.
PREFACE. — Head Piece : The Rector's Walk in Beddington Park. Tail Piece: Road bordering
my Garden. View taken in winter.
CONTENTS. — Tail Piece : Wallington Church, erected at the expense of N. Bridges, Esq.
CHAPTER I. — Head Piece : Beddington Church from the churchyard (/. i). Tail Piece : Bed-
dington Hall in the olden time, before the fire (/. 19).
CHAPTER 2. — Head Piece: Windmill on Mitcham Common (/. 20). Tail Piece: Interior of
Beddington Hall (/. 36).
CHAPTER -$.—Head Piece: King's Head Inn, old posting-house, Mitcham (/. 37). Tail
Piece: Carshalton Church (/. 46).
CHAPTER 4. — Head Piece: View near Croydon (p. 47). Tail Piece : Scene on the Wandle,
near Mitcham (/. 55;.
CHAPTER 5. — Head Piece: Scene on the Wandle, near Beddington Corner (/. 56). Tail
Piece: Old Pigeon-house in Beddington Park (/. 66).
CHAPTER 6. — Head Piece : Scene on the Wandle (/. 67).
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
xv
CHAPTER 7. — Head Piece: Carshalton High Street (/. 83).
CHAPTER 8. — Head Piece: Old Font in Beddington Church (/. 92). Tail Piece: Scene on
the Wandle (/. 136).
CHAPTER 9. — Head Piece: Bridge on the Wandle at Carshalton (/. 137). Tail Piece: View of
Beddington Hall, near the Church (/. 209).
CHAPTER 10. — Head Piece : New Bridge over the Wandle (1871) in Beddington Park (/. 210).
Tail Piece: Summer-house in my Garden (p. 267).
CHAPTER n. — Head Piece: Scene from Bridge in my Garden (/. 268).
CHAPTER 12. — Head Piece: Scene on the Wandle (p. 409). Tail Piece : A. Crowberry, Empe-
truni nigi'um ; B. Bilberry, Vaccinium Myrtillus ; c. Common Heath, Erica
Tetralix ; D. Dogberry, Cornus sanguinea (p. 444).
CHAPTER 13.— Head Piece : Heron beside River (/. 445). Tail Piece : Portrait of Gyp (/. 555).
CHAPTER 14. — Head Piece: Scene by the Wandle (/. 556). Tail Piece: Bridge on the
Wandle (p. 561).
CHAPTER 15. — Head Piece: Bronze Celts found in Beddington Park — A. Celt, 4-3- in. long;
B. Broken spear-head, 3^ in. long ; c. Ornamental Celt, three-quarter view,
3! in. long ; D. Fragment of Handle of Sword ; E. Fragment of Matrix
or Mould ; F. Ditto, 4^ in. long, perfect (p. 562). All the figures are drawn
one-fourth the actual size, from figures supplied by Mr. Flower. Tail Piece :
Mill on the WTandle (/. 596).
CALENDAR. — Head Piece: Scene on the Wandle (/. 597)- Tail Piece: A winter view from
the door of the Glass Fernery (/. 628).
FIGURES.
ARCHAEOLOGY.
FIG.
FIG.
FRAMES & GLASS
26. Terebratula semiglo-
46.
Spud.
HOUSES.
FIG.
i. Flint instrument.
bosa.
27. Galeritesalbo-galerus.
47-
48.
Shovel.
Fork.
FIG.
80. Garden frame.
2. Flint scraper.
3. Flint worked stone.
4. Roman house at Bed- i
28. Flint cast of Holaster
pillula.
29. PseudoDiademavari-
49-
50.
51-
Ditto.
Pickaxe.
Hoe.
8r. Two-light frame.
82. Poor Man's House.
83. End of Poor Man's
dington.
olare.
52.
Dutch hoe.
House.
5. Roman pottery.
30. Belemnitella.
53-
Rake.
84. Orchard House.
6. Bronze bead.
7. Bronze instrument.
8. Roman coin.
9. Roman silver spoon.
10. Map of the Roman ,
road,
ii. Anglo-Saxon urn.
12. Umbone of shield.
13. Saxon silver penny.
14. Anglo-Saxon bead.
15. Anglo-Saxon bronze
bracelet.
16. Penny of Edward IV.
17. Queen Elizabeth's
31. Coniferous wood on
flinU
32. Cup-shaped sponge
(Polypothecia).
33. Sponge in chalk (Ven-
triculites radiatus).
34. Fpondylus spinosus.
35. Cast of Diadema in
flint.
36. Fish-scale in flint,
probably Acrogna-
thus or Aulolepis.
37. Group of fossilized
shells.
54-
t
57-
i 58.
59-
60.
61.
' 62.
6j.
, 64.
65.
fc6.
Wheelbarrow.
Hand-barrow.
Axe.
Bill-hook.
Pruning- knife.
Garden shears.
Grass-edgings shears.
Budding-knife.
Asparagus-knife.
Grape-scissors.
Lawn mowing ma-
chine.
Trowel.
Ditto.
85. Fernery.
86. Door of Fernery.
87. Vinery.
88. Earthen vessel for
plants.
89. Glass bell.
90. Hand-light.
91. Octangular ditto.
92. Cucumber House.
93. Saddle boiler.
94. Tubular boiler.
95 Boiler connected
with cistern.
96. Tank pit.
Oak.
38. Anne Boleyn's well.
67.
Steel trowel.
97. Hot-water pipes.
GEOLOGY.
1 8 Flint cast of Cidaria.
39. Sewage-filtering appa-
ratus.
68.
69.
70.
Dibber.
Waterpot.
Improved waterpot.
98. Ditto.
99. Single hot-waterpipe.
loo. Two-wick candle.
19. Lower Tertiary sand.
GROUND PLANS.
71.
Syringe.
20. Reigate sand.
21. Foraminifera ^anci-
ent).
22. ForaminiffiM(recent).
40. Fern glen.
41. A'pinery.
42. TheCrystalWaterfall.
72.
73-
74-
75.
Warner's pump.
Garden roller.
Leaden label.
Tally.
PROPAGATION OF
PLANTS.
101. Seeds.
23. Fossil fish's head.
24. Tooth of Corax fal-
GARDEN TOOLS.
i 76.
77-
Circular label.
Minimum and black
; 102. Seeds germinating.
103. Sucker.
catus.
43. Spade.
bulb thermometer.
104. Layer.
25. Rhynchonclla plica-
tilis.
44. Draining tool.
45. Edging tool.
78.
79-
Mason's hygromeier.
Graduated tube.
105. Circumvallation.
106. Propagation by roots.
MY GARDEN.
1
FIG. ; FIG.
FIG.
KIG.
107. Propagation by i ifg. Garlic-
242. Northern Spy.
306. Green Gaee.
leaves. ; 170. Vegetal Marrow.
243. American Newtown
7,07. Golden Drop.
108. Cuttings (Pink and 171. Pumpkin.
Pippin.
308. Imperatrice.
Geranium). 172. Six Weeks' Turnip.
244. Reinette of Canada
309. Belgian Purple.
109. Vine eye. 173. French Horn Carrot,
no. Division of roots 174. Student Parsnip.
245. Golden Harvey.
246. Early Nonpareil.
310. Prince Englebert.
311. Belle de Louvain.
(Primrose). 175. Jerusalem Arti-
in. Runner (Straw- choke.
247. Old Nonpareil.
248. Braddick's Non-
312. Yellow Magnum
Bonum.
berry). 176. Tuberous-rooted
pareil.
313. Gisborne.
112. Propagation by Chervil.
249. Screveton's Golden
314. Black Diamond.
bulbs (Amaryllis). 177. Salsify.
Pippin
315. Prince of Wales.
113. Potato : showing pro- 178. Scorzonera.
250, Adams' Pearmain.
316. Washington Plum.
pagation by divi- 179. Royal Ash-leaf Po-
251. Boston Russ't.
317. Rochester Prolific
sion of tuber. tato.
.252. Reinette Ananas.
Damson.
114. Young ferns growing 180. Cells of diseased po-
253. Duke of Devon-
318. Bullace.
from fronds. tato.
shire.
115. Graft. 181. Solanumesculentum.
116. Tree covered with 182. Mint,
grafts. 183. Pennyroyal.
254. Sturmer Pippin
! 255. Ord's Apple.
256. Keswick Codlin
APRTCOTS.PEACHES.
AND NECTARINES.
ii7«. Saddle graft. 184. Peppermint.
257. Lord Stiffield
318(7. Moo--park Apricot
117^. Cleft graft. ; 185. Balm.
258. Emperor Alexander.
319. Early Louise Peach.
118. Inarching. i 186. Sage.
119. Budding. 187. Thyme.
259. Cellini Pippin.
260. Hawthornden.
320. Early Beatrice.
321. Early Grosse Mig-
120. Old graft. ; is8. Borage.
261. New Hawthornden.
nonne.
121. Mistletoe and Apple 189. Marigold.
262. Lord Derby.
322. Noblesse.
cells. 190. Angelica.
263. Warner's King.
323. Bellegarde.
122. Mushroom spores i IQI. Feverfew.
264 Gloria Mundi.
324. Late Admirable.
germinating.
192. Woodroof.
265. Stirling Castle.
325. Peach buds.
123. Mycelium.
193. Samphire.
266. Winter Peach.
326. Violette Hative.
194. Lavender.
267. Blenheim Orange.
327. Rivers' Orange.
VEGETALS.
195. Rosemary.
268. Gooseberry Pippin.
328. Rivers' Seedling,
196. Tobacco
260. Wellington.
No. 23.
124. Two forms of Water-
197. Sweet Basil. 270. French Crab.
329. Rivers' Seedling,
cress.
198. Summer Savory.
271. Siberian Crab.
No. 93.
125. \ Salads — Mustard
199. Common Marjoram. ;
330. Fan-shaped Peach-
126. J and Rape.
200. Knotted Marjoram. MF.nr.AR.
tree.
127. Australian Cress.
201. Tarragon.
331. The " Cordon Ob-
118. Curled Cress.
202. Rue.
272*. Medlar.
lique."
129. Selected Paris Cos
203. Chamomile.
Lettuce.
204. Hyssop.
PEARS.
CHERRIES.
130. Neapolitan Cabbage
Lettuce.
205. Horehound.
206. Parsley.
273. Catillac Pear.
332. Early Purple Genii
131. Curled Endive.
207. Chervil.
274. Uvedale's St. Ger-
PI iP^'l
132. Chicory.
133. Radishes.
134. Turnip Radishes.
135. Salad Burnet.
208. Fennel.
209. Barr's Fennel.
210. Chili.
211. Solanum anthropo-
main.
275. Doyenne d'Ete.
276. Citron des Carmes.
277. Tareonelle.
334. Bigarreau Duke.
3-^5. Morello.
336. October Cherry.
136. Corn Salad.
phagorum 278. "Beurre Giffard.
137. Oxalis.
212. Ginger Plant. ' 279. Williams' Bon Chre-
CURRANTS.
138. Nasturtium.
213. Tomato. tien.
337. Black Currants.
139. Ivery's Nonsuch
214. Horse-radish. 28o. Alexandra.
338. White Currants.
Celery.
215. Aconite.
281. Louise Bonne.
339. Red Currants.
140. Celeraic.
216. Absinthe. 282. Thomnson's.
141. Cucumber.
142. Cucumber, Female
and Male Flowers.
217. Rhubarb.
218. Raphidesof Rhuba- b
28-5. Marie Louise.
284. Beurre de Capiau-
niont.
GOOSEBERRIES.
340. Early Sulphur
143. Cattail's Alliance
APPLES. 285- Beurre Clairgeau.
Gooseberry.
Beet.
144. Dixon's Early Pea.
145. Champion of Eng-
land Pea.
219. Standard AppleTree.
220. Hollow Bowl Apple-
bush.
286. Doyenne de Cornice.
287. Crasanne..
288. Beurre Superfin.
289. Beurre I. iei.
341. Red Warrington.
342. Broon Girl.
343. Smuggler (yellow).
344. Crown [Job.
146. Pea, Veitch's Per-
221. Apple Espalier Tree.
290. Chaumontcl.
345. Banksman.
fection.
147. Ne Plus Ultra Pea.
148. Early Mazagan Btan
222. Cordon Apple Tree.
223. Empress Eugenie
Apple.
291. Duchesse d'Angou-
leme.
292. Josephine de Ma-
STRAWBERRIES.
149. Negro Bean.
224. Juneating.
y j r
lines.
346. Black Prince.
150. Scarlet Runner.
151. Spinach.
152. NewZealandSpinach
153. Silver Beet.
225. Early Strawberry.
226. Irish Peach.
227. Reine Jaune Hative.
228. Quarrenden.
293. Glout Morceau.
294. Winter Nelis.
295. Huyshe's Victoria.
296. Beurre Ranee.
347. Keen's Seedling.
348. Briti.'h Queen.
349. Amateur.
350. Dr. Hogg.
154. Sorrel. '• 229. Kerry Pippin.
297. Easter Beurre.
351. Eleanor.
155. Cabbage.
230. Benom.
298. Benedictine.
352. Eliza.
156. Savoy.
157. Brussels Sprouts.
158. Kohl Rabi.
231. Gravenstein.
232. Ribston Pippin.
233. King of the Pippins.
299. Grit of Pear.
300. Pyramid on Quince.
301. Pear branches.
353. Perpetual Alpine.
354. Cells of ripe Straw-
berry.
159. Cauliflower.
234. Cornish Gilliflower.
160. Asparagus.
161. Sea-kale.
235. Melon Apple.
236. Cox's Orange Pip-
QUINCE.
RASPBERRIES.
162. Artichoke.
pin. 302. Portugal Quince.
355. Fa'staff Red.
163. Underground Onion.
237. Golden Pippin. 303. Flower of Quince.
356. Yellow Autumn.
164. Globe Tripoli Onion.
238. Court of Wick.
165. Crystals in Onion. 239. Coe's Golden Drop, i PLUMS.
GRAPES.
166. Leek. 2*0. Court-perdu Plat.
167. Chives. 241. Mannington's Pear- , 304. Rivers' Favourite.
357. Black Hamburgh.
168. Shallots. main. 305. Laurence's Ga-c.
.358. Black Prince.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
xv n
FIG.
359. Trentham Black.
360. Ingrain's Prolific
Muscat.
361. Chassclas Musque.
362. White Frontignan.
363. Standish'sCittonelle.
364. Buckland's Sweet
water.
365. Lady Downe.
;-,66. VValtham Seedling.
367. Black Monnukka.
368. Muscat of Alexan-
dria.
MELON.
3^9 Scarlet Melon.
NUTS.
370 Red Filbert.
371. Cosford Nut.
372. Cob Nut.
373. Nut, male and fe-
male flowers.
374. Walnut.
375. Sweet Chestnut.
376. Almond.
VARIOUS FRUITS.
377. Oranga blossom.
378. Fig.
379. Mulberry.
380. Prickly Pear.
381. Opuntia Rafflesqui-
ana.
382. Loquat.
383. Banana.
384. Passion-flower Fruit.
385. Pa^sifbra macro-
carpa.
386. Pomegranate.
387. Eugenia ugni.
388. Cape Gooseberry.
389. American Cran-
berry.
390. Cloudberry (Rubus
Chamajmorus).
391. Berberry.
392. Elderbeiry.
393. Quten Pine-apple.
394. Pine apple in flower.
FLOWERS.
BULBOUS PLANTS.
395. Snowdrop.
396. Crocus vernus.
397. Hyacinth.
398. Corbularia conspi-
cua.
399. Narcissus Jonquilla.
400. N. maximus.
401. N. incompa- abilis.
402. N. poeticus.
403. N. orientalis.
404. Fritillary.
405. Spring Snow-flake.
406. Summer Snow-flake.
407. Dog-tooth Violet.
408. Winter Aconite.
409. Garden Anemone.
410 Anemone vitifolia.
411. Anemone hepatica.
412. Ranunculus.
413. Parrot Tulip.
414. Common Garden
Tulip.
415. Dielytra spectnbiKs.
416. Ixia.
417. Iris.
418. Gladiolus.
419. White Lily.
4-iO. L. lancifolium.
tlG*
421. L. auratum.
no.
484. Everlasting.
FIG.
546. Kucharis amazonica.
422. L. canadenseflavum.
423. Tigridia pavonia.
, 485. Sunflower.
486. Dianthus chinensis.
547. Semaphore plant.
548. Gardenia florida.
424. Canna indica.
'. 487. Phlox Drummondii.
: 549. Poinsettia pulcher-
425. Tuberose.
i 488. Chilian Beet.
rima.
426. Tritoma Uvaria.
; 489. Indian Corn.
427. Tritonia aurea.
490. French Tassellcd
ROSES.
PERENNIALS.
Aster.
491. German Quilled
Aster.
550. Scotch Rose.
; 551. Persian Yellow
428. Russ an Violet.
429. Parker's Yellow Vio-
402. Garden Scabious.
493. Convolvulus minor.
Rose.
; 552. Baroness Adolphe de
let.
430. Heartsease.
494. Sweet Sultan.
553- General Milorado-
431. Primrose.
BIENNIALS.
witsch.
rf~»i
432. Primula japonica.
433 Polyanthus.
434. Lupin. •
435. Christmas Rose.
436. Wallflower.
495. Evening Primrose.
496. Castor Oil Plant.
497. Annual Larkspur.
498. Portulaca Thellu.
554. Clovis.
555. Madame Barriot.
556. Centifolia rosea.
557. John Hopper.
558. Princess Louise Vic-
437. Doronicum caucasi-
cum.
438. Variegated Lily of
the Valley.
sonii.
499. Foxglove.
500. Mimulus.
501. Horn Poppy.
toria.
559. Pyramid Rose-tree.
560. Fairy Rose.
i 561. Souvenir de Mal-
439. White Pink.
440. Variegated Pink.
502. Canterbury Bell.
503. Sweet William.
maison.
562. White Noisette
Rose.
442. Carnations
GREENrfOUSE PLANTS.
563. Yellow Banksian
443. Picotees.
444. Large Snapdragon.
445. Variegated Colum-
bine.
504. Camellia.
505. Azalea indica.
506. Epacris.
Rose.
! 564. Marshal Niel.
; 365. Gloire de Dijon.
1 566. Climbing Devonien-
446. Perennial Larkspur, i
447. Escallonia califor-
507. Erica.
• 508. Daphne indica.
509. Franciscea latifolia.
sis.
567. Moss Rose.
568. Felicite Perpetuelle.
nica.
448. Pentstemo'n.
449. Herbaceous Phlox.
450. Hollyhock.
451. Dahlia.
4^2. Rudbeckia.
510. Lasiandra.
511. Balsam of Peru.
512. Acacia longifolia.
513. Fuchsia.
514. Metrosideros speci-
: 569. Dundee Rambler.
CLIMBING PLANTS.
i 570. New Silver Edge
Ivy.
453. Helianthus decape-
talus.
454. Chinese Chrysanthe-
mum.
osus.
515. Mimosa.
516. Cineraria.
517. Impatiens Balsam-
ina.
571- Gold Striped Ivy.
572. Old Silver Edge Ivy.
573. H. elegantissima.
• 574. Wild Rose-coloured
455- Japanese Chrysan-
themum.
456. Pompones.
457. Acanthus mollis
458. Lobelia fulgens.
459. Double Pyrethrum.
518 Rondcletia speciosa.
519. Belladonna Lily.
520. Whit by Lily.
521. Cyclamen.
522. Mesembryanthe-
Convolvulus.
, 575. Glycine sinensis.
576. Lophosper mum scan -
dens.
; 577. Sweet-scented Cle-
matis.
460. Peony.
523. Echinocactus tubi-
578. C. Jackmanni.
579. C. lanuginosa.
BEDDING PLANTS.
461. Mrs. Pollock Gera-
524. Cereus grandiflorus.
525. Cereus speciosissi-
580. Pale Clematis.
581. Lonicera fragrantis-
nium (leaf).
462. Pelargonium.
mus.
526. Epiphyllum trunca-
sima.
582. Early Dutch Honey-
suckle.
463. Calceolaria.
464. Lobelia.
tum.
527. Primula sinensis.
583. Late Dutch Honey-
465. Petunia.
466. Ageratum mexica-
528. Primula denticulata.
529. Diona^a muscipula.
suckle.
584. Japanese Honey-
num.
467. Verbena.
530. Darlingtonia califor-
nica.
suckle.
585. Jasminum nudi-
468. Heliotrope.
469. Salvia patens.
470. Datura arborea.
471. Pyrethrum Parthe-
531. Cephalotus follicu-
laris.
532. Aponogeton dysta-
chyon.
florum.
586. White Jasmine.
587. Cissus discolor.
588. Coboea scandens
nium.
472. Coleus.
533. Vallisneria spiralis.
variegata.
589. Tropaeolum speci-
473. Amaranthus salici-
folius.
474. Echeveria metallica.
475. Gazania.
STOVE PLANTS.
534. Torenia asiatica.
535. Tradescantia dis-
color.
536. Variegated Pine.
osum.
590. Canary Creeper.
591. Gloriosa.
592. ^Eschynanthus.
593. Aristolochia gigas.
594. Clianthus.
ANNUALS.
537. Begonia.
, 595. Passiflora Kerme-
476. Nemophila.
538. Begonia Rex.
sina.
477. Early Sweet Pea.
539. Maranta zebrina.
596. Hoya carnosa.
478. Coreopsis tinctorea.
540. Croton angusti-
597. Hoya bella.
479. African Marigold,
orange double.
folium.
541.' Alocacia metallica.
598. Combietum purpu-
reum.
480. African Marigold,
single.
542. Gloxinias.
543. Pancratium zeylani-
599. Clerodendrum splen-
dens.
481. Zinnia elegans.
cum.
600. C. Balfourii.
482. Stock.
544. Achimenes.
601. Stephanotis flori-
48} Mignonette.
545. Caladium argyrites.
bunda.
MY GARDEN.
FIG.
602. Mandevilla suaveo-
lens.
603. Stigmaphyllon cili-
atum.
604. Abutilon vexilla-
rium.
605. Thunbergia lauri-
folia.
606. Lapageria rosea.
607. Dipladenia amabilis.
608. Allamanda Hender-
sonii.
609. Orchis mascula.
610. Bee Orchid.
611. Fly Orchid.
612. Man Orchid.
613. Great Butterfly Or-
chid.
614. Orchis maculata.
615. Orchis incarnata.
616. Goodyera repens.
617. Cypripedium Calce-
olus.
618. Dendrobium nobile.
619. D. Pierardii.
620. Dendrobium.
621. Phalaenopsis grandi-
flora.
622. Vanda.
623. Oncidium papilio.
624. O. altissimum.
625. Oncidium flexuosum
626. O. Harrisii.
627. Mantisia saltatoria.
628. Phajus grandi flora.
629. Cattleya Mossiae.
630. C. Skinneri.
631. Maxillaria fimbriata.
632. Lycaste aromatica.
633. Cypripedium villo-
sum.
634. Brassia maculata.
635. Stanhopea.
636. Aerides crispum.
637. Ten species of Anaec-
tochilus.
638. Calanthe vestita.
639. Odontoglossum
grande.
640. O. Alexandriae.
641. O. Phalaenopsis.
642. Miltonia.
643. Dove Orchid.
644. Angraecum sesqui-
pedale.
645. Masdevallia
Veitchii.
646. Vanilla.
647. Caelogyne cristata.
648. N. Rafflesiana.
ALPINE PLANTS.
649. Saxifraga oppositi-
folia.
650. S. granulata.
651. Ditto (double)
652. S. intacta minor.
653. S. Geum.
654. S. pectinata.
655. S. bryoides.
656. S. aspera.
657. S. globifera.
658- S. caespitosa.
659. Sedum anglicum.
660. S. Sieboldii.
661. S. Fabaria.
662. Sempervivum mon-
tanum.
663. S. californicum.
664. S. arachnoideum.
665. S. spinosum.
FIG.
666. S. tabulaeforme.
667. S. Bollii.
668. Echeveria secunda.
669. Pachyphytum brac-
teosum.
670. Cotyledon umbili-
cus.
671. Scilla sibirica.
672. Scilla bifolia.
673. Bulbocodium ver-
num.
674. Colchicum autum-
nale.
675. Anemone nemorosa.
676. Ditto (double).
677. Purple Anemone of
Italy.
678. A. apennina.
679. A. pulsatilla.
680. A. palmata
681. Camassia esculenta.
682. Allium nutans.
683. Oxalis rosea.
684. Tulip from Italy.
685. Lily of the Field.
686. Iris nudicaulis.
687. Triteleia uniflora.
688. Erica herbacea.
689. Menziesia polifolia.
690. Alpine Rose.
691. Linnaea borealis.
692. Omphalodes verna.
693. Myosotis dissitiflora.
694. M. rupicola.
695. Veronica maritima.
696. Veronica repens.
697. Trillium grandiflo-
rum.
698. Maranthemum bifo-
lium.
6^9. Pinguicula vulgaris.
700. Parnassia palustris.
701. Silene acaulis.
i 702. S. alpestris.
; 703. Mazus pumilio.
704. Epimedium rubrum.
; 705. Helianthemum vul-
gare.
j 706. Thalictrum minus.
| 707. Alyssum alpestre.
' 708. Yellow Poppy.
i 709. Dianthus ch inensis.
I 710. D. fragrans.
711. J>tatice latifolia.
! 712. Alpine Snapdragon.
713. Linaria tristis.
j 714. A. Novae Zelandiae.
715. Arenaria balearica.
716. Pentstemon glaber.
I 717. Aphyllanthes Mon-
speliensis.
j 718. Phlox divaricata.
! 719. Phlox Nelsonii.
720. Cheiranthus alpinus.
721. Gentiana acaulis
722. G. verna.
723. G. gelida.
724. Campanula persici-
folia.
725. Campanula coronata
alba.
726. C rotundifolia.
727. C. hirsuta.
728. Abyssinian Primrose.
729. Primula cortusoides.
730. P. villosa.
731. P. auricula.
732. French Everlasting.
733. Large Yellow Poten-
tilla.
734. Draba beotica.
735. Aubrietia Campbelli.
736. Dodecatheon
Meadia.
737. Erigeron specicsus.
FIG.
FIG.
738. Genista sagittalis.
803. Draparnaldia glome-
739. Polygala Chamae-
rata.
buxus.
804. Tetraspora lubrica.
740. Linum flavum.
741. Solidago cambrica.
805. Zygnema spiralis.
806. Conjugation of con-
742. Trollius europaetis.
fervse.
743. Vicia Cracca.
807. Closterium Leib-
744. Rubus saxatilis.
leinii.
745. Drosera rotundifolia.
746. Bog Bean.
808. Epithemia turgida.
809. Surinella biscriata.
747. Calla palustris.
810. Cocconema lanceo-
748. Hippuris vulgaris.
latum.
8ri. Pinnularia major.
GRASSES.
812. Cymeloplura solea.
813. Pleurosigma attenu-
749 Briza maxima.
atum.
750. Anthoxanthum odo-
814. Campylodiscus spi-
ratum.
ralis.
751. Stipa pinnata
752. Lagurus ovatus.
753. Water Grass.
MOSSES AND
LICHENS.
754. Common Reed.
755. Variegated Grass.
815. Fontinalis antipyre-
tica.
756. Couch Grass.
757. Cock's- foot Grass.
816. Funaria hygrome-
758. Carex pendula.
817. Mnium undulatum.
!
818. Mnium cuspidatum.
WEEDS AND WILD
819. Sphagnum acutifo-
PLANTS.
lium.
759. Ranunculus ficaria.
820. Hypnum ruscifolium
821. Ramalina fastigiata.
760. Caltha palubtris.
822. Physcia parietina.
761. Yellow Water Iris.
823. Lecanora subfusca.
762. Bulrush.
824. Marchantia.
763. Purple Loosestrife.
764. Figwort.
FUNGI.
765. Flowering Rush.
766. Frog-bit.
767. Speedwell.
768. Chrysanthemum
825. Torula cerevisise.
826. Blue Mould.
827. Trametes gibbosa.
828. Agaricus euosmus.
segetum.
769. Lysimachia num-
829. Tubercularia ^ul-
mularia.
770. Spiraea ulmaria.
830. Lycogala epiden-
77 1. Malva sylvestris.
772. Datura Stramonium.
831. Agaricus dissemina-
773. Myosotis palustris.
774. Water Ranunculus.
775. Chrysosplenium op- i
positifolium.
776. Ivy-leaved Duck-
832. Pez;za vesiculosa.
833. Mushroom.
834. Cells of Mushroom.
835. Champignon.
836. Agaricus fascicularis.
weed.
837 Morel
777. Lesser Duckweed.
778. Callitriche.
838. Morchella crassipes.
830. Giant Puff-ball.
779. ^agittaria sagitti-
foha.
840. Phallus impudicus.
780. Alisma Plantag^.
781. Epilobium hirsutum.
782. Water Soldier.
783. Hydrocotile vulgare.
784. Anacharis.
785. Bryonia dioica.
786. Solanum dulcamara.
787. Convolvulus arven-
841. Dacrymyces stella-
te and spores.
842. ^Ecidium violas.
843. -/Ecidium cydoniae.
844. Potato Fungus.
845. Lettuce Mould.-
846. Polyactis.
847. O'idium Tuckeri.
848. Erysiphe Martii,
788. Potentilla Anserina.
789. Arum maculatum.
790. Water Dock.
791. Lesser Dodder.
with spores.
849. Sphaerotheca pan-
nosa, with spores.
850. Coleosporium pin-
gue.
ALG^E.
851. Cystopus candidus.
852. Puccinia lychnide-
792. Protococcus viridis.
arum.
793. Ditto, magnified.
853. Helminthosporium
794. Lyngbya muralis.
795. Ditto, magnified.
796. Nostoc commune.
pyrorum.
854. Siberian Crab
Fungus.
797. Conferva rivularis.
855. Uredo filicum.
798. Ditto, magnified.
856. Oidium fructigenum.
799. Conferva.
857. Dry-rot.
800. Cladophora crispata.
801. Batrachospermum
858. Sarcina ventriculi.
859. Saprolegnea on
moniliforme.
Ovum.
802. Cladophora glome-
rata.
860. Ascomyces defor-
mans.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
xix
FERNS AND THEIR
ALLIES.
FIG.
86 1. Hymenophyllum
demissuin.
862. Adiantum Capillus-
Veneris.
863. Hymenophyllum
Tunbridgense.
864. Killarney Fern.
865. Sporangia of T. spe-
ciosuin.
866. Aspleniutn germani-
cum.
867. Scolopendrium vul-
gare.
£68. Ceterach officina-
rum.
869, Cystopteris mon-
tana.
870. Polypody.
871 Parsley Fern.
872. Scalariform vessels
on Bracken.
873. Polystichum angu-
lare.
874. Holly Fern.
875. L. Filix-mas.
876. Marsh Fern.
877. Athyrium Filix-
foemina.
878. Sporangia of O. re-
galis.
879. Moon Wort.
880. Adder's Tongue.
881. Osmunda gracilis.
882. O. interrupta.
883. Cystopteris bulbi-
fera.
884. Pteris scaberula.
885. Lastraea Standishii.
886. Lomaria chilensis.
887. Struthiopteris ger-
manica.
888. Cyathea medullaris.
889. C. Schiedei.
890. Alsophila australis.
891. Dicksonia squarrosa
892. Dicksonia Barometz.
893. Tartarian Lamb.
894. Trichomanes Lusch-
natianum.
895. T. reniforme.
896. Hypolepis repens.
897. Cheilanthes elegans
898. Platyloma flexuosa
899. Pteris tricolor.
900. Davallia bullata.
901. Adiantum reniforme.
902. A. Farleyense.
903. A. cuneatum.
904. A fulvum.
905. Lomaria gibba.
906. Blechnum orientale
907. Wood ward ia radi-
cans.
908. Doodia aspera.
909. Asplenium.
910. Bird's-nest Fern.
911. Actiniopteris radi-
ata.
912. Didymochlaenalunu
lata.
913. Nephrodium molle.
914. Oleandra articulata.
915. Polypodium verru
cosum.
916. Polypodium filipes.
917. Gymnogramma
chrysophylla.
918. Meniscium simplex.
919 Acrostichum crini
turn.
920. Platycerium alci-
cnrne.
FIG.
ANIMALCULES, ETC.
KG.
921. Todea superba.
922. Sporangia of Tcdea.
923. Lygodium scandens.
924. Anemia fraxinifolia.
925. Angiopteris evecta.
KIT,.
984. Amoebae.
985. Monads.
986. Siagontherium
tenue.
1040. Lady-bird.
1041. Cockroach.
1042. Earwig.
1043. Lygus solani and
JLygus umbella-
926. Marattia laxa.
927. Prothallus.
928. Lycopodium selago.
929. Nardoo plant.
930. Selaginella denticu-
987.
988.
989.
990.
991.
Bursaria vernalis.
Stylonichia.
Vaginicola.
Vorticella.
Melicerta ringens.
tarum.
1044. Pentatoma olea-
ceum.
1045. Aphis vastator.
1046. Aphis Dianthi.
iO4.7» A. rapac and A.
lata.
931. S. Lyallii.
992.
Hydra communis.
floris rapae (Curtis).
932. Equisetum sylvati-
WORMS AND CRUS- ;
1048 Aphides on potato-
leaf.
cum.
TACEA, ETC.
1049. Black Aphis.
TREES AND
993.
Earth or Lob Worm ;
1050. Plum Aphis.
SHRUBS.
933. Elm.
934. Black Italian Poplar.
935. Old Black Poplar.
936. White Poplar.
937. Horse-chestnut.
938. Lime.
939. Last Oak of Birnam
994.
995-
996.
997-
998.
999-
IOOO.
Fresh-water Sponge
Fresh-water Shrimp
Woodlouse.
Cyclops quadri-
cornis.
Ditto, side view.
Daphne Pulex.
Parasite of the Ox
1051. Pea Aphis.
1052. American Blight.
1053. Currant-leaf with
Aphides.
1054. Aphis quercus.
1055. Coccus adonidum.
1056. Lemon Coccus.
1057. Larva Thrip.
1058. Winged Thrip.
Wood.
940. Turkey Oak at Ful-
ENTOZOA.
1059. Chrysoma perla.
1060. Larva of C. perla.
ham, struck by
1001.
Egg of Beef Tape-
1061. Caddis-worms.
lightning.
worm.
1062. Fossil Cadbaits.
! 941. White Willow.
IOO2.
Beef Measles.
1063. Small Cadbaits.
942. Alder.
943. Mountain Ash.
1003.
1004.
Beef Tapeworm.
Head of Beef Tape-
1064. Pieris brassicae and
Pteromalus bras-
944. Copper Beech.
worm.
sicae.
945. Birch.
946. Last Sycamore ot
1005
Head of Taenia
solium.
1065. Caterpillar of Goat
Moth.
Birnam Wood.
1006.
Pork Measles.
1066. Apple-stem eaten
947. Plane Tree.
948. Laburnum Blossom,
i 949- Arbutus unedo.
1007.
1008
Cysticercus ceMu-
losus.
Hydatid Tape-
by Goat Moth.
1067. Caterpillar of Wood
Leopard Moth.
| 950. Red May.
worm.
1068. Lackey Moth.
951. Lemon Verbena.
1009
Hairworm.
1069. Caterpillar, Eggs
952. Yew.
and Cocoon of
953. Holly.
ACARI, SPIDERS, ETC.
Lackey Moth.
i 954. Magnolia.
| 955. Catalpa.
loio. Tyroglyphus
1070. Caterpillar of
Brown-tailed
956. Hardy Palm.
957. Cones of Picea no-
bilis.
958. Cedars of Lebanon
and Evergreen
Oak.
959. Cones of Cedar of
Lebanon.
ion. Red Spider.
1012. Harvest Bug.
1013. Garden Spider.
1014. Web of the Ange-
lina labyrintheca.
1015. Centipedes.
1016. Millipedes.
Moth
1071. Magpie Moth.
1072. Codlin Moth.
1073. Tortrix pruniana.
1074. Great Yellow Un-
derwing.
1075. Caterpillar of Noc-
tua (mamestra)
960. Wellingtonia gigan-
INSECTS.
brassicae.
tea.
1076. N. exclamationis.
' 961. The '"'Father of the
1017
. Working Honey
1077. Caterpillar of Hi-
Forest."
Bee.
bernia defoliaria.
i 962. " George Washing-
1018
. Humble Bees.
1078. Scaeva balteata, S.
ton."
IOIC
. Common Wasp, and
pyrastri, and S.
963. Larch in Bedding-
Gnat.
SLsii.
ton Park.
964. Larch at Dunkeld.
IO2O
1021
. Wasp's Nest.
. Hornet's Nest.
1079. Daddy Long-legs.
1080. Trichocera hie-
| 965. Cupressus Lawsoni-
IO22
. Aphidius rapae.
malis.
ana.
966 Taxodium Disti-
1023. Colax dispar.
i 1024. Pemphredon uni-
1081. Celery affected with
leaf-mining
chum.
color.
Larvae.
967. Walnut-tree.
1025. Rose-leaf and Larva
1082. Carrot Fly.
968. Laurel.
of Rose Saw-fly
1083. Pear with Larvae.
969. Lilac.
1026. Tenthredo rostrum.
i 1084. Onion Fly.
970. Mock Orange.
1027
. Sirex gigas.
971. Japan Quince.
972. Red Flowering
! 1028. Gall on Oak.
i 1020. Red-breast's Pin-
SLUGS AND SNAILS.
Currant.
rn<;hion.
1085. Black Slug.
973. Berberis dulcis.
1030 Black Ant.
1086. Common Garden
974. Guelder Rose.
975. St. John's Wort.
976. Scarlet Rhododen-
dron.
1031. Cockchafer.
1032. Rose Chafer.
| 1033. Balaninus nucum.
1034. Brocas Pisi.
Snail.
1087. Helix Pomatia.
1088. Girdled Shell.
1089. Zonitescrystallinus.
977. Yellow Azalea.
978. Kalmia latifolia.
979. Andromeda speciosa
980. Venetian Sumach.
] 981. Bog Myrtle.
982. Myrtus communis.
983 Heather.
1035. Scolytus destructor.
1036. Anthonomus pomo-
rum.
1037. Wire- worm.
1038. Turnip Fly.
1039. Devil's Coach-
horse.
1090. Succinea putris.
1091- Limnaeus Pereger.
1092. River Limpet.
j 1093. Planorbis vortex.
1094. Cyclas cornea.
1095. Bithin-a ventria sa.
1096. Valvata piscinalis.
XX
MY GARI)h\\ : LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
FISH, ETC.
FIG.
1097. Trout.
1098. Fish-tray.
1099. Fish-house.
1 100. Flies: i, Quill
Gnat ; 2, Black
Gnat ; 3, Car-
shalton Cocktail ;
4, Emperor ; 5,
Coachman ; Coch-
y-bonddhu.
noi. Eel Trap.
1 102. Lampern.
1103. Structure of Carti-
lage in the Lam
pern.
1104. Bullhead.
1105. Dace.
1106. Stickleback.
1107. Stickleback's Nest.
REPTILES.
1108. Frog.
1109. Toad.
ANIMALS.
1 1 10. Squirrel.
i in. Hedgehog.
1 1 12. Mole.
1113. Water Rat.
1114. Brown Rat.
1115. Domestic Mouse.
1 1 16. Field Mouse.
1117. Harvest Mouse
1118. Short-tailed C.om-
pagnol.
1119. Shrew Mouse.
1 1 20. Water Shrew.
1 121. Stoat.
1 122. Weasel.
1123
1124.
1125.
1126.
1127.
1128.
1129.
1130.
1131.
1132.
"33-
"34-
"35-
1136.
1138.
"39-
1140.
BIRDS, ETC.
. Hooper Swan.
Common Swan
, Wild Duck.
Teal.
, Widgeon.
, Tufted Duck.
, Smew or Smee
Duck.
Little Grebe.
, Sclavonian Grebe.
, Water Rail.
Land Rail.
. Moorhen.
Moorhen's Nest.
Bald-faced Coot.
Heron.
Woodcock.
Common Snipe.
Jack Snipe.
FIG.
II4I,
1142.
"43-
1144.
"45-
1146.
1147.
1148.
1149.
1150.
1151.
1152.
ii53-
"54-
"55-
1156-
"57-
1158-
"59-
1160.
1161.
1162.
1163.
1164.
1165.
1166.
1167.
1168.
1169.
1.70.
Sandpiper.
Peewit.
Partridge.
Turtle Dove.
Wood Pigeon.
Swift.
Sand Martin.
House Martin.
Swallow.
Swallow's Nest.
Kingfisher.
Cuckoo.
Nuthatch.
Wren.
Wren's Nest.
Creeper.
Wryneck.
Spotted Wood
pecker.
Jay.
Magpie .
Jackdaw.
Head of Crow
Rook.
Starling.
Bullfinch.
Linnet.
Goldfinch.
Hawfinch.
Greenfinch.
House Sparrow.
FIG.
II7I.
1172.
H73-
1174.
"75-
1176.
1177.
1178.
1179.
1180.
1181.
1182.
1183.
1184.
1185.
1 1 86.
1187.
1188.
1189.
1190.
1191.
1192.
AI93-
1194.
"95-
1196.
1197.
Chaffinch.
Skylark.
Wagtail.
Blue Titmouse.
Greater TitmouM
Cole Titmouse.
Long-tailed Tit-
mouse.
Golden crested
Wren.
Sedge Warbler.
Reed Warbler.
Reed Warbler1:
Nest.
Ditto.
Blackcap.
Chiffchaff.
Nightingale
Stonechat.
Wheatear.
Redbreast.
Missel Thrush.
Fieldfare.
Redwing.
Song Thrush.
Blackbird.
Spotted Flycatch
Kestrel.
White Owl.
Effect of Frost
Cherry Blosson
\VAI.LINGTON CHURCH
BEDDING-TON a PARK
MY GARDEN.
" Der Garten ist einfach, und man fi'iblt gleich bei dem Eintritte, dass nicht em
wissenschaftlicher Gartner, sondern ein fiihlendes Herz den Plan gezeichnct, das
seiner selbst hier geniessen wollte." — GOETHE, Lieden des Tungen Werthers.
CHAPTER I.
SITUATION OF MY GARDEN.
MY garden (plate 2) is situate at Wallington Bridge, in the hamlet
of Wallington, in the parish of Beddington, in the county of
Surrey (plate 3). According to the parish Ordnance map, this plot of
ground1 consists of 7^925 acres of land and water.
^ The parish of Beddington, in Domesday Book written Beddintonc,
contains 3,951*091 acres; and the hamlet of Wallington is situated in
the west side of the parish, and contains 823*089 acres.
I am informed by Dr. Farr that by the Census of 1871, not yet
published, the population of Beddington amounted to 1,499, anc* that <,f
Wallington to 1,335, making a total for the entire parish of Beddington
of 2,834.
BEDDINGTON IN THE CELTIC PERIOD.
Flint instruments are found over the district, but not in great
numbers. Mr. J. Wickham Flower of Croydon has a very fine collection,
1 Plot 82, sheet x'ii. 12.
B
MY GARDEN.
and is an authority on the subject. He lent me a specimen to figure
which was found at Croydon (fig. i). He also found specimens of
scrapers at Haling Park (fig. 2), which he
regards as authentic. Mr. Cressingham
also picked up a Celtic worked stone
on the downs south of my garden (fig. 3).
These remains prove that the neighbour-
hood around was inhabited in very early
times.
FIG. i.
FIG. 2.
FIG. 3.
BEDDINGTON IN THE ROMAN PERIOD.
The evidence of Roman occupancy is distinct, and has received
important confirmation by the discoveries made in the year 1871 by
Mr. Addy, the resident engineer of the Croydon Board of Works. The
foundations of one Roman house were exposed by workmen forming an
irrigation canal, Mr. Addy at once, from its mode of construction,
FrG. 4. — Roman House at Beddington.
knew it to be Roman, and carefully traced out the plan of the building.
He made the annexed sketch, which is minutely accurate (fig. 4). The
spot where the discovery was made is marked on the map (plate 3), on
BEDDINGTON IN THE RO.IfAN PERIOD.
the irrigation fields to the east of Beddington Park. The walls were
composed of large flints, and flat Roman brie s set in mortar. The
bricks were from i£ to 2\ inches in thickness and 10 inches square.
Mr. Addy states, in a paper read before the Antiquarian Society :
" By reference to the plan, it will be seen that the buildings extend east
and west from the large central chamber, the walls of which are more
regular and thicker than any of the others, and probably this was the
principal apartment of the building. This chamber was 16 feet by 10.
At the east of this principal chamber was a rectangular apartment with
the remains of a hypocaust for warming the building. The supports
of the flooring of the hypocaust were clearly exposed, and are shown
accurately on the plan."
To the north of this principal chamber a recess existed, and to the
west, outer and partition walls, of a rougher construction, were uncovered,
and are figured in the plan. The floor was paved with square bricks ;
but no trace of tesselated pavement was found.
The remains of the walls were 2 ft. below the surface of the ground ;
and the walls remaining were I ft. 9 in. from the foundation.
Amongst the debris were large quantities of plaster, marked in
coloured bands from \ inch to 2 inches, chiefly of a crimson colour ;
sometimes, however, the stripes were sepia-coloured, and occasionally
pieces were found coloured with yellow pigment. Large quantities of
portions of flue tiles were found showing the action of fire.
Various specimens of pottery of different kinds were found,
and one piece, supposed by the learned to be
unique, was marked with inden-
tations as though impressed by
shells (fig. 5). Only two coins were
found in the building, — one a
Roman coin, with Romulus and
Remus on the reverse, the other
a Saxon silver penny. A bronze bead (fig. 6)
was also discovered in the debris of the building. As a necessity,
the foundations of the Roman house had to be covered ; but at some
B 2
FIG. 6.
MY GARDEN.
future time we may hope that they will be uncovered, and that the
landowner, Mr. Beddington, may preserve them, that they may show
to our children, and .our children's children, the Roman occupancy of
this part of the country.
There is reason to suppose that another Roman house existed, as
many fragments of Roman vessels were found at a short distance from
the first building.
In the debris of the Roman house was found an instrument (fig. 7)
the use of which no English antiquary could determine ; and
no such thing is in the collection at the British Museum. I
forwarded a drawing of it to M. d'Agiout at Naples. He
consulted M. le commandeur Fiorelli, director, M. le comman-
deur Minervini, and M. le chevalier Nicolini, secretary, of the
unrivalled Museum of Roman Antiquities. These gentlemen,
by a careful comparison with the small bronzes, discovered that
it agreed with a part of a game found at Herculaneum, some-
what like the " Jeu de Marelle," which was much played by
the ancient Romans when they travelled, or when they were
confined to the house. The object found at Beddington was
the large piece of the game, in the form designed for the
FIG. 7. use of travellers. It must be regarded as a very interesting
addition to the Roman objects found in Great Britain.
On the irrigation fields the following Roman coins were found by
the workmen : —
»
1. Commodus (second brass) ; extremely corroded.
2. Constantine period. Obv. Head, to the right, of Rome or Constantinople ;
Rev. Victory.
3. Constantine period. (Constantius ?) Much
worn.
4. Constantine period (fig. 8). Obv. Head of
Rome, Urbs Roma ; Rev. Romulus and Remus ;
Mint mark, T R (Treves).
5. Allectus. Obv. Head of Allectus, to left, FlG- 8-
ALLECTUS; Rev. Galley, L A E T I T I A A u G, struck at Colchester.
6. A coin of Carausius ? He reigned in Britain A.D. 287.
7 and 8. Roman coins not identified at present.
BEDDINGTON IN THE ROMAN PERIOD. 5
Besides these evidences of the residence of the Romans in the neigh-
bourhood, a silver spoon, now in the possession of Mr. Cressingham, was
found at Barrow Hedges, Carshalton
fig' 9)- Fragments of Roman glass
have been found at Wallington. FlGt 9.
Further south, at Woodcote, Roman remains have been described ;
and still further, at Walton-on-the-Heath, Lysons records that the
remains of a Roman house were found in the year 1772.
Various antiquaries have considered the Roman town Noviomagus,
mentioned in the Itinerary of Antoninus, to have been situated at Wood-
cote, on the hills south of my garden. Camden assigns this situation to
it because he considers that the distances agree with the statements in
the Itinerary, and because it was described as the chief city of the Regni,
a people of Surrey. Dr. Gale also placed it in that position. Gibson,
Somner, Stillingfleet, Stukeley, and Baxter, on the other hand, consider
that Noviomagus was at Crayford, because that position is in a straight
line between Maidstone and London. Curiously enough, Sir Thomas
Eliot places this city at Chester, Lilly at Buckingham, Lluyd at Guild-
ford, and Talbot at Old Croydon. From these various statements it
is manifest that the site of this Roman city is unknown, and I myself
regard it as one of those problems which will never be unravelled unless
some fresh discovery be made.
The Roman road called Stane Street, extending from the sea-coast
to London, and thence by the Great Ermine Street to Scotland, through
Lincoln, is supposed to have passed through or near Beddington
parish, though no trace of it is now to be seen. It has been thought
to leave Sussex ; it reappears at Ockley, where it is marked in
the Ordnance Survey map as running on the present turnpike road
for two miles and a half. Some persons think that Stane Street
passed north of Dorking, across Walton Heath, thence to Wood-
cote, and from this latter place to Streatham. Mr. Standish informs
me that Stane Street is not mentioned in the Itinerary, nor does
Richard of Cirencester, the mediaeval authority on the subject,
A.I). 1350 to 1400, allude to it. Sir Duflfus Hardy, in his map of
MY GARDEN.
the Roman roads, which I have copied (fig. 10), marks it as known
from Chichester to Dorking, and supposititiously thence to Streat-
ham. We may assume that its posi-
tion at Beddington is now unknown,
and that any attempt to locate it
is merely a matter of conjecture. I
have visited Woodcote Farm, which
now belongs to J. P. Gassiot, Esq.,
V.P.R.S., and there is evidently a ridge
running from Walton across his farm
to Beddington, which would be conve-
nient for a road ; but, at this moment,
there are no traces of a road, nor did
the old people remember that, in late
years, any traces of Roman antiquities had been found on that
estate.
" The very generations of the dead
Are swept away, and tomb inherits tomb,
Until the memory of an age is fled,
And, buried, sinks beneath its offspring's doom." — BYRON.
FIG. 10.
BEDDINGTON IN THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD.
The proofs of Anglo-Saxon occupancy of Beddington recently
received confirmation as conclusive as that afforded
of Roman occupancy ; for, on the irrigation grounds,
Mr. Addy discovered in the earth over a raised
plot of ground (plate 3), about five hundred yards
from the Roman house, a number of Anglo-
Saxon urns and implements. Many skeletons
were found, the bones of which were mostly de-
composed, except the skull and long bones. I
ascertained that the bodies were buried with the
head towards the west. On the same piece of
Fic" ScaTe^'btTa?ofcnhield' ground, and alternating with these skeletons, a
•A-
BEDDINGTON IN THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD.
number of cinerary urns were discovered, filled with burnt ashes (fig. 1 1).
Most of the urns were so fragile that they broke in the attempt
to remove them. There were also umbones of shields (fig. 12),
and knives. The finest umbone of shield found by Mr. Flower, I
have figured, but the others were much corroded. The ground was
not only turned over for the purposes of the irrigation works, but
was further explored by Mr: Flower and myself; though doubtless
many more objects remain for future antiquaries to discover.
The annexed figure of an Anglo-Saxon penny (fig. 13) was found
on the irrigation works.
FIG 13. — Saxon silver penny.
Obv. .EDELSTAN + RE + TODR
Rev. EADMUND MO LEIOCE +
FIG. 15. — \ nat. size.
There are evidences that personal adornment was not forgotten
by the Anglo-Saxons, as a blue glass bead was discovered (fig. 14),
and also a bronze bracelet (fig. 15).
BEDDINGTON IN THE MEDIAEVAL PERIOD.
The mediaeval history of Beddington is full of interesting matter.
This place is mentioned in Domesday Book as containing two manors,
one of which was held by Robert de Watevile of Richard de Tonebrige ;
and in later times his successors held it immediately of the king, by the
service of rendering annually to the sovereign a wooden crossbow. In
Domesday Book we find that there was at that time a church in this
manor, and two mills are mentioned which were rated at forty shillings,
equal to £120. In Richard the First's reign, the family of the De
Eys, or De Es, were in possession of this manor ; and William de Eys
received from that sovereign ten shillings rent in Beddington. In
1205, this family having become extinct, the manor fell into the king's
hands, and, for a time, certain persons were entrusted with its custody ;
MY GARDEN.
but, by a deed made in 1245, Henry III. granted it to Raymund de
Laik (Lucas), who likewise held it by a cross-bow. At his death, his
daughter Isabella inherited the lands, and on her decease, after some liti-
gation, her son Gatelier, or Gacelin, obtained possession of the property.
From the Gatelier or Gacelin family this manor passed next into that of
the.Roges, and on that family becoming extinct in 1302 it again reverted
to the sovereign. That same year Edward I. granted it to Thomas
Corbet, who, some say, was his valet, and from him it passed successively,
by purchase, to the Morleys, Braytons, and Willoughbys. But as these
alienations were made without the king's consent, the manor was seized
by Edward III.; he, however, re-granted it afterwards to Sir William
Willoughby and his wife, although they were obliged to pay to the king a
fine of one hundred shillings annually. They were allowed to let this
manor in 1353 to William and Nicholas de Carru — as this family spelt their
name at that time — at twenty marcs per annum, on the agreement that
the manor was to revert to the said Willoughby and his wife on the
deaths of the tenants. And in 1360 the same Sir Willoughby also
had licence to alienate the fee simple to Nicholas de Carru and his
heirs ; the value of it being one hundred shillings per annum. Sir William
Willoughby had but one daughter : she married Sir Thomas Huscarle,
Knt, proprietor of the other manor in Beddington ; and, on his death,
she contracted another marriage with Nicholas de Carru. So that in the
reign of Edward III. the two manors in Beddington became united.
There is very little known about the manor of which Huscarle was the
last proprietor. It is recorded in Domesday Book, that Milo Crispin
Earl of Hereford held it, and that William son of Turold held it of him.
Two mills are also mentioned as being in it, of the value of thirty-five
shillings (^105). It seems that so early as the reign of King John the
Huscarles possessed land in Beddington. The Carews, to whom the two
manors belonged, on the marriage of Nicholas de Carru with Lucy,
daughter of Sir William Willoughby, and widow of Sir Thomas Hus-
carle, are descended from one Otho, who came over to England in the
Conqueror's time. The name of Carru was taken by one William, in
the reign of King John, from a castle in Pembrokeshire called Carrio
HEDDINGTON IN THE MEDIAEVAL PERIOD. 9
or Carru ; the spelling of that name being changed to Carew in Henry
the Seventh's reign. Their arms are, Or, three lions passant in pale
sable. The Carews can boast of several distinguished men belonging
to their family, among whom ranks the celebrated historian Giraldus,
commonly known by the name of Cambrensis. Sir Nicholas Carew, the
first owner of Beddington, was also a personage of some importance,
being not only one of the knights of the shire, but also the Keeper
of the Privy Seal in Edward the Third's reign, as well as one of
the executors of that monarch's will. Other houses with lands, or
small manors, — as they were sometimes called when belonging to
religious bodies, — had, at different times, become the property of
the Carews. Amongst these were the Freres Manor, which formerly
belonged to the Hospital of St. Thomas, Southwark, and the Foresters
Manor. These came to the same family at a very early period.
The manor of Beddington continued in the Carew family until
the reign of Henry VI IT., when Sir Nicholas Carew, Lieutenant of
Calais, Master of the Horse, and one of the Knights of the Garter, in-
curred the displeasure of that puissant monarch, and, being attainted
of high treason, was beheaded on Tower Hill in 1539, ano^ buried in St.
Botolph, Aldgate. All the lands at Beddington were then seized by
the king, who appointed Michael Stanhope keeper of the Manor-house.
During this time Henry VIII. is said to have frequently resided at the
Manor-house, and in 1541 he held a council there. Subsequently Walter
Gorges obtained, for his life, the Manor of Beddington from Henry, and
in the following reign the manor, mansion, and church with lands, were
granted to Thomas Lord Darcy of Chiche, in exchange for other lands
which Darcy had ceded to the king. From Queen Mary, in whose service
he was, Sir Francis Carew obtained restitution of all his father's estates,
but he prudently did not rest satisfied with the mere grant of the queen,
but gave a sum of money to Darcy to cede the lands to him. It was
this Sir Francis Carew who rebuilt the mansion of which now the great
hall alone remains. The great door of this hall has a curious ancient
lock very richly wrought, the key-hole of which is concealed by a shield
bearing the arms of England. Queen Elizabeth honoured Sir Francis
io MY GARDEN.
Carew with her presence at Beddington in August 1599, and stayed
three days at the mansion. She paid another visit the following August.
The following quaint account by Sir Hugh Platt shows what pains
were taken to keep back cherries (a favourite fruit of that sovereign)
for her Majesty's entertainment : —
" Here I will conclude with a conceit of that delicate knight, Sir Francis
Carew ; who, for the better accomplishment of his royall entertainment of our
late Queen of happy memory, at his house at Beddington, led her Majesty to a
cherry tree, whose fruit he had -of purpose kept back from ripening, at the least
one month after all cherries had taken their farewell of England. This secret he
performed, by straining a tent or cover of canvas over the whole tree, and wetting
the same now and then with a scoop or horn, as the heat of the weather required ;
and so, by withholding the sun-beames from reflecting upon the berries, they grew
both great, and. were very long before they had gotten their cherry colour : and
when he was assured of her Majesties comming, he removed the tent, and a
few sunny dayes brought them to their full maturity."1
This Sir Francis Carew had a fine garden laid out at Beddington,
and it was he who was the first to cultivate orange-trees in England.
They are supposed to have been brought to this country by Sir Walter
Raleigh, who had married Sir Francis's niece. In the ArcJiceologia is
an account of the orangery at Beddington, which I here subjoin : —
" Beddington Gardens, at present in the hands of the Duke of Norfolk but
belonging to the family of Carew, has in it the best orangery in England. The
orange and lemon trees there grow in the ground, and have done so near one
hundred years, as the gardener, an aged man, said he believed. There are a great
number of them, the house wherein they are being above two hundred feet long ;
they are most of them thirteen feet high, and very full of fruit, the gardener not
having taken off so many flowers this last summer as usually others do. He said,
he gathered off them at least ten thousand oranges this last year. The heir of
the family being but about five years of age, the trustees take care of the orangery,
and this year they built a new house over them. There are some myrtles growing
among them, but they look not well for want of trimming. The rest of the garden
is all out of order, the orangery being the gardener's chief care ; but it is capable
of being made one of the best gardens in England, the soil being very agreeable,
and a clear silver stream running through it."2
Sir Francis died unmarried on the i6th May, 161 1, at the great age
of 8 1. He left all his estates to his nephew, Sir Nicholas Throckmorton,
1 " Garden of Eden," by Sir Hugh Platt, part ii. p. 22. London : 1660.
2 Archtzologia, vol. xii. p. 182. London : 1796.
BEDDINGTON IN THE MEDIAEVAL PERIOD.
who took the name and arms of Carew. Sir Walter Raleigh was
beheaded in Sir N. Throckmorton's lifetime, and it was to him that
the widow, his sister, wrote the following curious letter, praying him
to allow the remains of her unfortunate husband to be buried in
Beddington Church. Whether the request was refused I know not ; at
all events the body of Sir Walter Raleigh was buried in St. Margaret's
Church, Westminster, while the head was sent to his son at West
Horsley in Surrey, where it was interred : —
" To my best b
SUR NICHOLAS
CAREW, at
beddington.
" I DESIAR, good brother, that you will be plessed to let my berri the worthi boddi
of my nobell hosbar Sur Walter Ralegh in your chorche at beddington ; wher I
desiar to be berred. The lordes have geven me his ded boddi, though thoy denied me
his life. This nit hee shall be brought you with too or three of my men : let me
her presently, " E. R. God hold me in
my wites." 1
The lands at Beddington remained in the same family until 1791,
when Sir Nicholas Hackett Carew, baronet, left them for life to his only
daughter, then at her death to the eldest son of John Fountain, Dean of
York, and if he had no son (which he had not) they were then entailed
by will on the eldest son of Richard Gee, Esq., of Orpington, Kent, who
took the name and arms of the Carews. Thus the lineal descent of the
Carew family has twice failed since their residence at Beddington.
BEDDINGTON CHURCH.
The parish church of Beddington adjoins the Hall. Aubrey, the
historian, considered that it was built in the reign of Richard II. By
Sir Nicholas Carru's will, which was proved in 1390, he leaves a legacy
of £20 towards building the church at Beddington ; by that, it may be
supposed that it was built about this period. A church is, however,
mentioned in Domesday Book as existing at this place, and it is said
that there still exist some remains of the architecture of the eleventh
and twelfth centuries. The church was reckoned by Aubrey to be
1 Manning and Bray.
12 MY GARDEN.
30 yards long and uf yards in breadth. At the present time it
consists of a nave, chancel, and three aisles ; and it has a fine massive
square tower at the west end. It seems that the chancel and one of
the aisles were built at the commencement of the fifteenth century, while
the tower, southern aisle, and porch at the southern door, towards the
latter part of the same century. In 1851 the Rector, the Rev. James
Hamilton, commenced the restoration of the church. In his time the
galleries and ugly large square pews were taken away ; and still more
accommodation was afforded by the building of the extreme northern
aisle. Since then, the present Rector, the Rev. Alexander Bridges,
has continued, to a considerable extent, the good work of restoring
and embellishing this fine old church, by employing all the means which
the present knowledge of mediaeval art affords. He has had the
carving of the wooden roof much improved ; and a new oak chancel-
screen has been constructed, — similar to the old one which shuts off the
mortuary chapel on the southern side of the chancel. The east window
is of painted glass ; the sides of it are filled with mosaics, which
represent the Twelve Apostles. Above the re-table, — which has also
been restored, — are five different Scriptural subjects in glass mosaics.
The centre one represents our Saviour in glory, with angels ministering,
and on either side are four other subjects: 1st, The Annunciation ; 2nd,
The Adoration ; 3rd, The Flight into Egypt ; and 4th, Christ disputing
with the Doctors. The reredos is entirely new, and is also of mosaics.
The sedilia, with a piscina and credence, have been replaced, and the
sacrarium, with its steps, have been laid with English and foreign
marbles, and serpentine. The old stalls and misereres, with the choir
seats, which are old and of oak, have also been most judiciously
restored. The organ is new, and is placed in the chancel, and has a
curiously painted oak screen. The nave and aisles have also, by the
munificence of the Rev. A. Bridges, aided by his parishioners, been re-
stored and embellished. The walls are coloured and decorated in
diaper, which gives a pleasing appearance. The west window is filled
with painted glass of modern date. Near the south door is placed the
font, which is an ancient square stone one, and has an inscription carved
HF.DDINGTON CHURCH. 13
round it. At the southern entrance is an old porch, and a new lych-
gate made of oak has lately been added to the western side of the
church.
In this church are some curious old brasses and monuments, most
of which were erected to the memory of the Carews, the great owners
of lands in this parish. In the time of Aubrey and of Lysons, there
were many brasses extant in the chancel, where the Carews were
formerly interred before the building of the mortuary chapel. There
is still one large brass, quite perfect, in the chancel, with the figures of
Nicholas Carru and of Isabella his wife. The woman's arms are two
lions passant. This Nicholas Carew died in 1432, and was the son of
that Carru who married Lucy Huscarle. On the adjoining stone are
brass figures of two other members of the Carew family ; they are, how-
ever, of much smaller size than the one above described. The chapel
situated at the south-east corner of the chancel was erected in the
sixteenth century. Sir Richard Carew, Lieutenant of Calais in the reigns
of Henry VII. and Henry VIII:, was the first to be interred in it ; it
is an altar tomb. Among the many other monuments in the chapel to
this family, the one most worthy of notice is that to Sir Francis Carew.
It is of black and Sienna marble, supported by two Corinthian pillars ;
between these pillars lies the statue of a man in full armour, with a
long inscription showing that this is the resting-place of Sir Francis
Carew, and recording the fact of his having had the honour to entertain
his royal mistress at his house at Beddington. In the front part of this
monument are the figures of Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, his wife, with
their five sons and two daughters, all in a kneeling posture. Admiral
Sir Benjamin Hallowell, one of the heroes of the battle of the Nile,
is also buried in this chapel.
There is another ancient brass, which is placed in the north aisle
of the church ; it is to a steward of Sir Nicholas Carew — Thomas
Greenhill was his name ; he was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford,
and died in 1633.
Sir Nicholas Carru, the founder of the family at Beddington, and
the husband of Lucy, daughter of Sir William Willoughby, directed
I4
by will that his body should be buried in Beddington Church, between
the grave of his brother John and the south door of the church. It
was that one who left the bequest of £20 towards the rebuilding of St.
Mary's : he willed that four fit chaplains were to be found, one of whom
for ever, and others for five years, were to pray for his soul and all
Christian souls of the church of Beddington. He willed also that
thirteen torches and five tapers, each weighing six pounds at the most,
were to be provided for his funeral ; these were afterwards to be
distributed at the discretion of the executors. The torches were to
be borne by thirteen poor men, who were all to have new clothes
for the occasion. This extraordinary will was proved at Croydon
in 1390.
The advowson of St. Mary's was given in 1159 to the Priory of
Bermondsey by Ingelram de Funteneys, or Fontibus, and Sibyl de
Watevile, sister of William de Watevile, and wife of Adam de Pirot ;
and this grant was confirmed in the same year by Henry II., and later
by Edward III. In 1246 the same Priory recovered an annual pension
of 100 shillings payable to them out of this Rectory, as well as two
marcs sterling in lieu of tithes of land in the parish of Beddington.
After the dissolution of the monasteries the advowson of the church
was granted by Henry VIII. to the Carews, in which family it remained
until the year 1859.
The living of Beddington — which is a rectory situated in the
deanery of Ewell, and is in the diocese of Winchester — produces
at the present time about .£1,250 a year. The advowson was sold
by the Carew family during the lifetime of the Rev. James Hamilton to
Mr. Raincock for £8,500. Shortly afterwards the Rev. James Hamilton
died, when the Rev. Dr. Marsh was appointed rector. During the life-
time of Dr. Marsh the advowson was again sold to Sir A. Bridges for
£17,000, and on the death of Dr. Marsh, at the great age of 86, the
Rev. A. H. Bridges was appointed to the living.
There was also a sinecure benefice to the church, called a free
portion, the patronage of which was annexed to Huscarle's manor. It
was valued in 1291 at i; marcs; two of them were paid, as already
BEDDINGTON CHURCH.
observed, to the Priory of Bermondsey. A commission having been
issued in 1473 by the Bishop of Winchester to inquire into the nature
and profits of this portion, it was found that the clear profits were then
estimated at 40 shillings. This portion also passed later to the Carews,
and it appears to have consisted of the tithes of 200 acres of land
called Huscarle's Fewde, situated on the north side of the church, with a
house and twenty acres of land on the southern side. It was this house
which was the subject of a lawsuit in 1801. It seems that before 1703
the owners of the Beddington Estate had exchanged lands with the
rector, and from time to time had granted leases to him, reserving a
certain rent as well as certain other agreements. In 1753 the rector
refused to pay the rent, or to deliver to the patron the straw
according to the agreements of the lease, while another rector in 1801
not only refused to fulfil these obligations, but also refused to pay the
tithe of oats, another of the agreements in the lease ; so the patron
filed a bill in Chancery against him. The decree was given in favour
of the rector, but the patron recovered afterwards all his lands by
gaining an action which he brought against the rector, and for some
time there was no parsonage-house, the rectors being at the time unable
to find another. During the present century a parsonage-house has
been built adjoining the school.
There is one instance of great longevity recorded in the register of
this parish. William Stuart, or Old Scott, as he was more commonly
called, attained the great age of one hundred and ten years and two
months. He was buried the 3ist of January, 1704-5.
It appears that Beddington did not wholly escape the ravages of the
Plague. Eight persons are recorded to have died of it in 1594, ten in
1603, and eleven in 1625.
WALLINGTON.
The early records of Wallington are wrapped in obscurity. Some
consider it to have formerly been a place of importance from the fact of
its giving its name, in the time of the Saxons, to the hundred. But
1 6 MY GARDEN.
whether it was so or not is by no means clear. In Domesday Book it is
entered as Waleton, and it is there stated that the king held the manor
in demesne, and that it was rated at £\2 in the time of Edward the
Confessor, and then at £10. Two mills at thirty shillings are also
mentioned in that book as being at this place.
Henry II. granted certain lands at Wallirigton to Maurice de Creon,
to which Guy de la Val came into possession on his marriage with the
daughter ; but later, being one of the barons who rebelled against King
John, he was deprived by that monarch of all his lands at Wallington,
and these were then granted to John Fitz-Lucy, who however forfeited
them by remaining in Normandy. The king then bestowed them on
Eustache de Courtnay. In Henry the Eighth's reign we find that the
Manor of Wallington had passed into the hands of Sir Nicholas Carew,
and after that nobleman was attainted of high treason, into those of
Sir Edward Dymock, and Sir James Harrington. This last gentleman
alienated them to Sir Francis Carew, son of the one beheaded, and in
this family they remained until 1683, when a lease for the term of
five hundred years was made by Sir Nicholas Carew for the purpose
of raising a fortune for his younger sons. The lease was demised in
1726 by Elizabeth Bridges, daughter of William Bridges, M.P. for
Liskeard. Under her will it passed through successive ownerships to
various members of her family, and ultimately to William Bridges, Esq.,
who in 1781 became sole owner by a family arrangement. Under his
will it devolved eventually upon the late John Bridges, Esq., who
dying in 1865 left it to his son, Nathaniel Bridges, Esq., the present
owner. The latter has recently bought up the nominal reversionary
interest vested in the representatives of the Carews, and has thus con-
verted the leasehold estate into one in fee simple.
In the year 1867, the present Lord of the Manor built the new
church at Wallington, on a site which was also his gift, aided to some
extent by two anonymous donors. The church was consecrated on the
28th September, 1867, in the name of the Holy Trinity; and on the
2Oth December following, the new district chapelry of Wallington (em-
bracing a large part of the hamlet) was constituted by an order in
WALLINGTON. 17
Council, and the incumbent of which has sole and separate jurisdiction
therein for all ecclesiastical purposes. Shortly afterwards Mr. Bridges
built the parsonage-house, now occupied by the Rev. John Williams,
M.A., the first incumbent of the district, and he also persuaded the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners to grant a small permanent endowment to
the living, the advowson of which is vested in himself.
The Schools at Wallington were established about thirty-five years
ago, by the late Mr. John Bridges, there being then no parochial schools
either for Beddington or Wallington, and they were maintained by him
at his sole charge during his lifetime. His successor, the present owner,
continued this arrangement until the creation of the new district
chapelry, shortly after which a plan for enlarging the schoolrooms was
carried out through local subscriptions, and he thereupon made them
over by gift for the use of the district.
At Wallington House, lying immediately to the south of my garden,
an underground room was discovered a few years since, called familiarly
the Dungeon, which, from its finished workmanship, appears to have
belonged to a superior building of which there is no historical
account.
The old books also describe a Gothic chapel, the site of which has
been considered to be on the beautiful grounds of Mr. Graham, behind
the Brewery. On visiting this spot where the earth has been excavated,
I learnt that this year the ground had been deeply trenched. The men
found bricks, flints, and stones ; and below, extensive foundations of
former buildings. Tons of stone were piled together, and one piece
which was left unburied was evidently a stone of a window or door
of a first-class Gothic edifice. There were numerous other fragments
of tooled stones, which afford confirmatory evidence that this was
really the spot where the Gothic chapel was built. Manning wrote that
in his time the stonework of the windows was entire, that the east
window was stopped up, and that there was rich Gothic architecture
on each side of it.
Coins of Edward I., Henry III., James I. of Scotland, \Villiam III.,
and Queen Elizabeth have been found at Beddington. Coins have also
c
MY GARDEN.
been found at Wallington of William III., Charles II., George I., and
George II. In Mr. Jackson's garden at Car-
shalton was also found a penny of Edward IV.
(fig. 16). A token was issued from Beddington
FIG. 16.— Penny of Edward iv in the seventeenth century, as stated by
Manning and Bray : ROBERT HILLER u — R. BEDINGTON IN SURREY
HIS HALFPENNY.
Beddington, and the neighbouring grounds of Wallington House,
are celebrated for the magnificence of their trees. The elms, limes, and
horse-chesnuts are of extraordinary size, and there is a fine old larch
not far from the church, with alders in the low ground. There was,
a few years ago, an old oak called " Queen
Elizabeth's Oak " (fig. 17), which was ruthlessly
removed for the ugly new watercourse, and
carried to a timber-yard at Croydon. On
my north-east boundary is a bank of trees of
various kinds, which in autumn, when lit up
by the rays of the setting sun, are of striking
beauty, especially when contrasted with the
leaves of the white willow, which, glistening
like silver, add to the loveliness of a summer
afternoon. I received with delight, on Lady-
FIG. 17- -Queen Elizabeth's Oak. jay jg^ ^ {nteUigence that the learned
Rector, the Rev. A. Bridges, had become the possessor of these noble
trees, as I have full belief that he will continue to preserve that
which only time and taste, with a genial soil, could have produced.
The river running through the Park has within the last few
years been diverted from its ancient course into a new channel, and
the waterfall and old canal mentioned in many books have been
removed. From a photograph taken by my son of the bridge and
river as it formerly ran, I am enabled to give a view of the pastoral
scene which was presented from my garden, with the glorious row of
fine limes to the right, upon which Cicero, with his love for " ordincs
arbornin" might have delighted to gaze. At the present time workmen
WALLINGTON. 19
are employed to divert the river a second time, and a stone bridge
has been constructed.
This Park was formerly a deer park, but the deer were sold in
1852, and have not been replaced.
Not far from Beddington Church, opposite the Plough Inn, in the
grounds of Mr. Watney, there exists a cave, of which many fabulous
tales are told in the neighbourhood. By the courtesy of Mr. Watney
I visited it with Mr. Addy. We found that it was an excavation in
the bed of sand overlying the chalk, and possibly was formerly used
for the purpose of defeating the Excise laws. Certainly there was no
evidence of its having been continued to Reigate, as some persons
would fain have us believe.
BEDDINGTON AT THE PRESENT TIME.
Beddington Church has been restored, and is not only a pleasing
object from my garden (plate 6), but the church with its churchyard
is one of the most picturesque near London. It has been supplied
with a melodious peal of bells, which record the sorrow and declare
the joy of the inhabitants. The village is rather a residence for the
rich than for the poor. The tower is seen through a vista of trees
from my garden, and then reflected from the transparent waters of
the lake, as though Nature ordained that so good an object should
be twice seen. The churchyard is overshaded by fine trees.
" Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-tree's shade,
Where heaves the turf in many a mouldering heap,
Each in his narrow cell for ever laid,
The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep." — GRAY.
C 2
CHAPTER II.
GEOLOGY OF MY GARDEN.
WHEN I first entered upon the land of my garden, I could not walk
across it ; it was a kind of peaty bog. However, I lowered the
central brook, made a second stream parallel with the river, and another
crossing the garden at right angles. The ground in many places
has been turned over, as we find occasionally brick piers. In some
parts of the ground are beds of gravel of an inferior character, in
other parts gravel full of water is found immediately below the surface.
Below this is a layer of coarse flints, constituting a drift bed running
from Croydon. Some of these 0° °0<
flints contain fossils, as though
they were washed out of the
*
chalk (fig. 18). The whole is
covered with a poor exhausted
peat, which rhododendrons de-
Q > ° °
FIG. 19.
0
FIG. 18. — Flint cast of
cidaria. test, and which not many plants
FIG. 20. — Reigate sand,
enlarged 10 diam.
like. Within the memory of many of my friends, the place was used
for bleaching and printing grounds, such as now exist on a similar
river between Amiens and the chalk downs on the road to Paris. On
the southern part of the garden a bed of sand exists, the last bed of
the Lower Tertiary series. This sand is extremely minute (fig. 19),
much finer than the Lower Green-sand at Reigate (fig. 20), a bed
below the chalk, of both which I have given figures. Notwithstanding
the fineness of the grains, the bed as a whole can be tunnelled,
as is actually the case in the cave on Mr. Watney's property.
Plate 5.
GEOLOGICAL MAP OF THE DISTRICT.
lorubon/ Ciay
LwerTertuzry SancLs
ChaMt,
.Standutge * C'liOta. 36. OU Jewry. f.C.Jkl
GEOLOGY OF MY GARDEN. 21
Beyond this bed of sand, on the south, the chalk comes to the surface,
and dips under my garden, not coming near the surface again till South
Mimms and Hatfield, north of London. On the north of my garden,
blue clay and the whole series of Lower Tertiary beds of clay and sand
exist (plate 5).
Geologically speaking, we are at the very edge of the London Basin ;
a section of which, copied from the Geological Survey by the kindness
of Sir Henry James, is given in plate 4. Under London, as the centre
of the basin, we have a depth of about one hundred feet of these
Lower Tertiary beds, of which my bed of sand is the last : above these
we have another one hundred feet of blue clay. This is covered with
a bed of gravel, and finally with a layer of about sixteen feet of
waste earth, and occasionally of peat. These depths vary somewhat in
different localities ; but, from an examination of the sections of many
London wells, these measurements may be taken as generally accurate.
The dip of the strata through my garden has been kindly drawn for
me by Mr. Alfred Tyler the geologist, and his section (plate 4) shows
how rapidly the different strata fall towards the Culvers, the property
of Mr. Gassiot, as they dip through the grounds of Shepley House, the
residence of Mr. Tyler.
To the south of us the chalk comes to the surface and rises to above
850 feet. The chalk consists of two layers, the upper chalk with flints,
and the lower chalk without flints. Flints occur in horizontal layers,
which may be traced for miles ; these are crossed by veins more or less
perpendicular, like mineral veins in Cornwall. These vary from a hair's
breadth to a foot in width. These cracks, like the layers of flints, run
for miles, and sometimes there is a dislocation of the flints where the
cracks occur, one side being higher than the other, as may be well
seen at the Sutton chalk-pit. These cracks are the underground rivers
or watercourses of the chalk ; and whenever in sinking a well one of
these cracks is tapped, a valuable flow of water is secured. When, on
the contrary, only the solid chalk is pierced, a very small supply of
water is obtained. The existence of these fissures is of great value
to mankind.
MY GARDEN.
The water issuing from these cracks is as clear as crystal, and
charged with carbonic acid. It has the temperature of 52°, which is
warm in winter, and delightfully cool to our senses in summer. It
contains sufficient saline and calcareous matter to make it palatable,
and hereafter I shall point out that these cracks give to us the
inestimable blessing of the River Wandle.
There is abundant evidence to prove that chalk was formed at the
bottom of an ocean. Chalk consists, chemically, of carbonate of lime.
It is amorphous, and no power of the microscope reveals structure.
This is very curious, because chalk deposited by Clark's process is
invariably crystalline.
Chalk appears to result chiefly from the decay of the lower animals,
and it is a most interesting discovery of modern times that another
deposit of chalk is now being formed at the bottom of the Atlantic
Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Innumerable foraminifera live in these
seas (fig. 22) ; these die and fall to the bottom, and it is now a
4- 5 6 7
Fie;. 27. — Foraminifera ancient).
FIG. 22. — Foraminifera (recent).
1. Planorbulina Ungeriana. 4. Rotalia Beccarii.
2. Trilochulina tricarinata. 5. Nonionina turgida.
3. Globigerina bulloides.
universally recognized fact that by their decay a bed of chalk is being
formed for future ages. Corals however, besides foraminifera, contribute
to the formation of chalk.
I asked Mr. Groves, who has great experience in microscopic objects,
to examine the chalk of our district to determine the foraminifera
which it contained. He discovered that little pockets in the flints
yielded the greater number, and from his investigations he found
many of the shells of the foraminifera to be in a fair state of pre-
servation. He found numerous forms of the Rotaline series (i, fig. 21).
GEOLOGY OF MY GARDEN.
textuluria (2), polymorphina (3), lagena (4), globigerina (5) ; and also
that nodosaria (6) was represented by many of its very beautiful
varieties. There are also other forms of foraminifera much resembling
miniature ammonites and nautili (7).
The revelations of the microscope showing to us how chalk was
formed in times gone by, and how it is being formed by similar
creatures at the present time (fig. 22), are certainly not the least
interesting results of modern science.
The chalk in our district is not highly fossiliferous. The chalk-
diggers tell me, the deeper they go the less they find. Many old books
state that fish have been found fossilized in the chalk near Croydon.
Mr. Flower kindly lent me one (fig. 23) to figure, from Riddlesdown,
but they do not appear to be very common. Mr. Herbert Jackson, when
the cutting was made for the Sutton Railroad, watched the proceedings
and obtained several species : one was a tooth of a kind of shark
(fig. 24), called the Corax falcatus. Some bivalve shells were found,
such as the RJiyncJwnella plicatilis (fig. 25), and the Tcrebratula semi-
giobosa (fig. 26).
FIG. 25.— Kliyr.chonclla
plicatilis.
FIG. 24.— Tooth of Corax falcatns.
FIG. 23. — Fossil fish's head, i real size.
FIG. 26. — Terebratul?
semiglobosa.
All over the Downs curious things, known to the country people as
shepherd's crowns, are found, which are different kinds of echini.
Two forms of one kind are found of Galerites albo-galcnis (fig. 27) ;
I have also figured a flint cast of Holastcr pillula (fig. 28), and a
specimen of Psaido Diadcuia variolare (fig. 29). All these are varieties
of sea-urchins or echini, one species of which is constantly seen on
our sea-coasts, demonstrating the marine origin of chalk.
MY GARDEN.
Besides these traces of marine animals, the flints which we use in
the garden have frequently the stems of encrinites attached to them,
Depressed form. Normal form.
FIG. 27.— Galerites albo-galerus.
FIG. 28. — Flint cast of
Holaster pillula.
and the allies of cuttle-fish are to be found in the belemnitella (fig. 30).
Occasionally in the chalk is found fossil wood, probably of a coniferous
tree, so that there must have been land on which the tree grew when
the chalk was being formed under water (fig. 31).
The beds of flint appear to have an animal origin, and the perse-
verance of Mr. Bowerbank proved to geologists at last that the greater
part were derived from sponges. A layer of animal matter seems
to have covered the bottom of the sea, and attracted to itself
FIG. 29. — Pseudo Piaclema
vanolare.
FIG. 30. — Belemnitella.
FK;. 31. — Coniferous woo'l on flint,
with piece enlarged, showing struc-
ture and the coniferous discs.
silica or flint Sometimes the flints extend for miles and miles in one
almost continuous agglomerated mass, at other times the flints are
more separated. One of these sponges, Polypot/iecia, from the interior
of a flint is here shown (fig. 32), also Ventriculites radiatus (fig. 33).
Sometimes the sponge enveloped an echinus or bivalve shell, as
sponges do now — Spondylus spinosus (fig. 34) and Diadcma (fig. 35).
Sometimes one sponge has been found to interpenetrate another,
and both have been silicified together. Mr. Charles Tyler, of
Holloway, possesses a remarkable and interesting collection of silicified
GEOLOGY OF MY GARDEN.
sponges, and also a collection of recent sponges as they now grow, and
every peculiarity which can be recognized in the present period can be
traced in their ancient fossil prototypes.
FIG. 32.— Cup-shaped
sponge (Polypothecia).
FIG. 35. — Sponge in
chalk (Ven'ricu-
lites radiatus).
FIG. 35.— Cast of
Diaaema in flint.
FIG. 34. — Spondylus
spinosus.
The law of the deposit of silex on decomposing animal matter has
been extensively examined by my son, Mr. A. Hutchison Smee. Some
organic bodies appear to silicify with ease, others with difficulty. A
sponge throws down silex readily. He has been able to silicify a
blood-corpuscle so perfectly, that when incinerated and its animal
matter destroyed, it showed its structure. Bones do not appear to
throw down silex readily. His experiments require further examina-
tion before the law of silicification can be absolutely determined.
Beyond the chalk, to the south, a layer of sand comes to the surface
(plate 5), and beyond this again a thin layer of clay called the Gault,
which is of great importance, as this clay is impervious, and passing
underneath the chalk prevents the water from flowing out of the chalk
as certainly as though the whole bed of chalk were placed in a china
basin. This bed of clay determines the flow of the springs, and is
therefore geologically of much interest. Beyond this again is the Lower
Green-sand, a coarse sand much larger in the grain than that immedi-
ately above the chalk (fig. 20). Beyond this again is the Wealden clay,
a deep bed totally impervious to water, and which, at the Idiot Asylum
at Earlswood, was bored for 1,000 feet without yielding any water.
On the top of the last bed of sand over the chalk is a layer of flints
of somewhat different chemical character from those in the chalk, and
more ferruginous. This layer comes near to the surface at Carshalton,
MY GARDEN.
in the garden of Mr. Philpotts. I was kindly permitted to open the
ground, and found the bed of flints which Mr. Henry Lee minutely
examined, and portions of fish-scales were discovered. Mr. Lee had
preserved a beautiful scale, which he had found when Mr. Sims
resided at the spot : this he permitted me to figure (fig. 36), but I am
grieved to say it was lost in the act. The fish is supposed to be a
species of Acrognathus or Aulolepis. It is figured the natural size and
magnified ten diameters.
Nat. size.
FIG. 36. —Fish-scale in flint, probably
Acrognathus or Aulolepis.
FIG. 37. — Group of fossilized shells.
Above this bed, and higher up in the Lower Tertiary beds, a layer
of a dense mass of shells exists (fig. 37). It is to be seen at Lewisham,
and was cut across in making the Thames Tunnel Railroad. I am
informed that a layer of shells has been found in Paper Lane, Carshal-
ton, a spot where this bed might naturally be expected to be found.
THE RIVER WANDLE.
Through my garden a beautiful and celebrated trout stream runs,
called the River Wandle ; its transparency has been recorded by Pope,
"the blue transparent Vandalis appears." The branch which runs
through the garden rises at Waddon, where it immediately turns a
flour mill ; it is joined by a little stream which rises above Croydon,
and comes out at a culvert to the west of Croydon Church ; it then
passes to Beddington, driving a snuff mill, thence it runs through Bed-
dington Park to my garden, where it drives a paper mill ; and, after
passing a short distance by the estate of Mr. Graham, joins another
and larger stream at Shepley House, and becomes one river, which
m
THE RIVER WANDLE. 27
runs uninterruptedly over the blue clay and empties itself into the
River Thames at Wandsworth.
The second branch rises by many springs almost entirely within a
radius of a mile south-west ; one spring, indeed, rises on our eastern
boundary and traverses the garden to form the Central Brook. A
second rises near the mill, and discharges itself into the backwater.
One, yielding a very large supply of water, comes from the grounds
of Wellington House, and makes the Crystal Waterfall. Another large
spring rises in Carshalton Park, and, after traversing the grounds of
Mr. Philpotts, drives a water-wheel. Near Carshalton Church a great
body of water rises from the ground. One of these springs is sup-
posed by the villagers to have been caused by Anne Boleyn's horse
making a hole in the ground, from which water has flowed ever since
(fig. 38) : another large stream rises from the ground in a pond at
Carshalton House. All these latter springs discharge their water into
two large ponds in front of Car-
shalton Church ; thence they pass
to a flour mill, thence to a paper
mill, and then from a second flour
and snuff mill, to the grounds of
Shepley House, to unite with the
* FIG. 38.— Anne Boleyn's Well.
Croydon branch.
The snuff mill, in the occupation of Mr. Ansell (plate 7), is very
picturesque, and I am enabled to give a graphic view of it from the
pencil of Mrs. Jackson, of Beechwood Lodge, Carshalton.
The River Wandle depends upon springs for its water, and receives
but very little from immediate rainfall. The river may be discoloured
for a short time by heavy rainfall from road-Xvashings, but the addition
to the water is but small.
The rationale of this phenomenon is interesting, as the rain which
falls upon the porous chalk to the south is immediately absorbed, and is
only given up slowly in the springs. In the hard impermeable chalks
of the south of France and Italy, the rainfall runs off in a desolating
mountain torrent ; and when it ceases the water is lost, and the bed
28 My GARDEN.
of the river is left almost dry. Here with our porous chalk the water
is retained, and is given off during the whole year.
Upon reference to the section of the strata of the London Basin
(plate 4), it will be observed that a layer of impervious clay exists
below the chalk, which comes to the surface to the south of the chalk
hills on the north of Redhill and Reigate. In consequence of this
clay, the water is not discharged into the valley of the Darenth, but
is compelled to drain away to the north of the chalk. But then,
between my garden and North Mimms in Hertfordshire, it is again
covered with a layer of sands and clays for 100 feet, and over these
again by an impermeable layer of blue clay through which no water
can rise. The water, therefore, is by compulsion restricted to flow
at the edge of these two sets of clay beds. Hence it rises about my
garden to form the River Wandle, and on the other side the London
Basin it also rises, at Watford to form the River Colne, and elsewhere
to form the River Lea. Between these two sets of springs, north
and south of the London Basin, water can be obtained by sinking
wells through the impermeable strata to the chalk.
Wallington Bridge is 95 \ feet above mean tide level of the
Thames ; and as there are two or three mills above the garden, it follows
that the springs of the Wandle are more than 100 feet above the level
of the Thames. A reference to the contour map, kindly prepared
for me under the direction of Sir Henry James at the Ordnance
Survey Office, Southampton, will show their height and the relative
position of the surrounding country.
Water flowing from the chalk strata invariably contains chalk or
carbonate of lime in solution. Chalk by itself is extremely insoluble,
and one part is only soluble in 10,000 parts of water. It is, however,
very soluble in carbonic acid, and the water from the springs has
always carbonic acid by which the chalk is dissolved.
To remove the chalk from the water, Dr. Clark has invented an
ingenious process, thus getting rid of the excess of carbonic acid. This
he effects by adding a small quantity of lime-water sufficient to com-
bine with the excess of carbonic acid, and to form the two into
THE RIVER WAN DLL. 29
chalk, which, being insoluble, falls as minute crystals to the bottom ;
and the chalk dissolved falling also with this newly-formed chalk, the
water is freed from this material. This process is followed upon a
large scale at Caterham and other waterworks, whereby hard water
is converted into soft : this is thought by some people to be of great
advantage in a town supply, but I cannot myself fully acknowledge
the value of this chemical process, preferring for many purposes the
water as it flows naturally from the earth.
In all chalk waters some saltpetre or other nitrates are invariably
found. Some eminent chemists consider this compound as a
proof of previous sewage contamination, others consider that the
nitrates arise from nitrogen derived from the atmosphere, but all
medical men agree that the nitrates are unimportant in a sanitary
point of view.
Three great chemists, Professor Hoffman, Professor Miller, and Pro-
fessor Graham, recommended that London should seek its water-supply
from the chalk. I also have laboured in the same direction, and am
chairman of the South Essex Water-works, promoted for that object ; —
but great and trustworthy men, as Professor Frankland and Mr. Bateman,
have continually opposed this view. However, during the past year
a change has come over the opinions of many of its opponents. Dr.
Frankland points out that the best water now supplied to London
comes directly from the chalk, and Professor Tyndall has demonstra-
tively proved, by the electric lamp, that chalk water contains no solid
particles. This philosopher has shown that solid particles reflect
light, and become visible, when a ray of light passes through the
water, and that all other water contains an immeasurably greater
number of particles than chalk water flowing from the bowels of
the earth.
Professor Odling has kindly made me a careful analysis of the water
of the River Wandle : first, as it flowed through my garden ; secondly,
as it flowed through the Central Brook, which is within 200 yards of
its source ; and thirdly, at the Crystal Waterfall, near the spring at
Wallington House, of which the following is the result. He also
MY GARDEN.
added the analysis of the water obtained from the old and new wells
at Croydon.
RIVER.
CENTRAL
BROOK.
(-KVSTAL
WELL.
CROYDON
OLD WELL.
CROYDON
NEW WELL.
Grains per gallon.
Total residue
Lime total .
20-30
8'54
15*34
I2'4I
Traces.
1-24
2 '04
078
0-217
20'5I
8-I9
14-64
12-83
Traces.
I-36
2-24
0-90
0-215
2275
9'44
16-87
13-00
Traces.
r30
2-14
0-98
0-227
22-14
9-64
I7-2I
0-16
I "22
2-03
0*64
O'O2I
2 I -98
9-67
17-26
0-15
1*21
2'00
0-68
O'OlS
= Carbonate of lime . . .
Actual carbonate
Magnesia ....
Chlorine ....
— Common salt
Sulphuric acid
Nitrogen as nitric acid . .
„ ammonia ....
0-003
O'OOO
O'OO2
O'OO2
0-003
„ organic matter .
0-007
0^007 0*008
0-004
0-004
1
Degrees of hardness ....
1 6° -4
i6u>5 i70>o
i6°-4
i6°-8
„ permanent hardness 3°"7
03°'5 4°'S
3°-o
3°'5
The water from the Wandle flows from the chalk, but when the
Board of Health was organized at Croydon it required large quantities
of water which would otherwise have passed to the river. The ab-
straction of this water was a matter of complaint by the millowners ;
and a litigation ensued which ended in a judgment of the House of
Lords in the celebrated case of Chasemore i'. Richards. The case
was so important, that I asked Mr. Risdon Bennett, the barrister, to
epitomize it for me, and he prepared the following statement : —
" By the case of Chasemore v. Richards, reported in 7 H. of L.
C. 349, in which the judgment of the Exchequer Chamber was affirmed,
the question of the right to subterranean waters was finally settled.
The facts were as follow. The plaintiff was the occupier of an ancient
mill on the River Wandle, and for more than sixty years before the
commencement of the action he and all the preceding occupiers of
the mill used and enjoyed, as of right, the flow of the river for the
purpose of working their mill. It also appeared that the River Wundle
THE RIVER WAN OLE. 31
was and always had been supplied above the plaintiff's mill, in part
by the water produced by the rainfall on a district many thousand
acres in extent, comprising the town of Croydon and its vicinity.
" The water of the rainfall sinks into the ground to various depths,
and then flows and percolates through the strata to the River Wandle,
part rising to the surface, and part finding its way underground in
courses which continually vary. The defendant, who represented the
Local Board of Health of Croydon for the purposes of supplying
the town of Croydon with water and for other sanitary purposes, sank
a well in their own land in the town of Croydon and about a quarter
of a mile from the River Wandle, and pumped up large quantities
of water from their well for the supply of the town of Croydon, and
thereby diverted and abstracted underground water, but underground
water only, that otherwise would have flowed and found its way into
the River Wandle, and so to the plaintiff's mill, and thereby sensibly
hindered the working of the plaintiff's mill.
" The question was, could the plaintiff maintain an action for such
diversion and abstraction ? The House of Lords, after consulting the
judges, decided not, and held that no right could be acquired to
subterranean water flowing or percolating in indefinite channels, and
that the rules of law applicable to surface waters do not apply to
subterranean streams. This case has been regarded as the leading
authority on questions of subterranean waters, and has been followed
ever since. The reasons for the decision of the House of Lords are well
and ably discussed in Mr. Gale's work on Easements (Eighth Edition)."
The practical effect of this judgment is to allow any person well
versed in the geological features of a country to rob a river entirely
of its supply of spring water, and there does not appear to me that
there would be any difficulty in depriving the Wandle of its water,
and making it flow down the valley of the Darenth, as this would be
a mere question of money and. engineering skill.
The Wandle has also been the subject cf other important litiga-
tion, for the Board of Health of Croydon carried all the sewage of the
town into the river which passed through Beddington Park to my garden.
MY GARDEN.
The effluvium was noxious ; the fish died ; and foul mud was de-
posited at the bottom of the river. It became a question whether I
should abandon my garden ; but I determined otherwise, and com-
menced an agitation to stop the pollution of rivers. Communications
were made to the Privy Council ; a series of bills in Chancery were
filed — nearly simultaneously by three separate landowners ; and injunc-
tions were obtained restraining the Board of Health from polluting
the stream. The Croydon Board resisted the law till a committal
was signed to commit the members of the Board to prison. The
ratepayers were involved in great cost ; but in the end the law proved
too strong — even for a board of health, — and so I was permitted to
enjoy my garden in peace.
When the law turned the sewage fairly out of the river, it was
placed upon the land ; but then the irrigation scheme was so badly
carried out that a pestilential marsh was created, much admired by
snipes, but so little adapted for human beings that fever raged
throughout the district.
During the past year the Croydon Board have carried on their
works more satisfactorily, by using a far larger quantity of land in
relation to the quantity of water ; for the real difficulty of dealing
with sewage is the great quantity of water which it contains.
At the present time the sewage is filtered by a cleverly contrived
-_- — -__-. apparatus (fig. 39), designed by the
engineer to the Board of Works,
Mr. Latham, which separates all the
coarse solid particles, such as bottles,
stones, bricks, pieces of earthenware,
and leaves aqueous matter alone to
be distributed over the land. Mr.
Latham's filter is self-acting, and
is perfect in its operation. The
figure shows the great revolving filter through which the water passes,
and also the clever arrangement by which all the solid matters are
carried away by a revolving screw. The motive power of the whole
FIG. 39.
THE RIVER WAN OLE.
33
is a turbine-wheel worked by the sewage itself. This is an hydraulic
apparatus not much employed in this country, though the celebrated
paper-mill at which the paper for the Bank of England notes is made
has been worked for years by a turbine.
It is probable that ultimately Croydon will be compelled to dis-
tribute the sewage over higher grounds, where the subsoil is sufficiently
porous to make a more perfect filter.
The effect of land in absorbing the bad parts of sewage is very
remarkable. Professor Odling investigated the action on the Bed-
dington sewage grounds in November 1867. The sewage, amounting to
3,274,300 gallons, had been distributed over 30 acres of land for two
days. Professor Odling analysed samples of the affluent water taken
every quarter of an hour, of which the following is a summary : —
Analysis of Sewage of Croydon, Nov. 24, 1867.
AFTER PURIFI-
CATION BY
IRRIGATION.
AFTER SUBSIDENCE.
BEFORE PASSING ON
TO THE LAND.
Grains per gallon.
Total solid residue
26-180
25-025
I-I55
3-400
0*042
0*032 -
0-419
OT44
25-830
24-500
I'330
3-265
0-896
0737
o ooo
0-415
Mineral matter
Volatile matter
Chloride of sodium
A.mmonia
Nitrogen as ammonia
Oxides
Organic matter
The River Wandle is not immediately affected even by heavy rain-
fall; nevertheless, it has occasional risings. In the year 1866 one of
my family returned from Wellington, saying that I should be much
astonished when I visited the garden, as indeed I was. Instead
of the usual peaceful flow of water in the river, the rush was
largely increased ; the retaining walls of the backwater were under-
mined, and the earth was rapidly being washed away : so what was
the matter? "The Bourne was down."
D
34 MY GARDEN.
The retaining walls were protected by fixing common hurdles
before them to break the power of the water. The gardener had
another difficulty to contend with ; for the green-house fires had been
put out by the water rising in the ground and flowing into the fire-
place. I directed a man to visit the mill below us to tell them the
predicament we, were in, and ask if they would kindly draw their
sluice-gates. The messenger, however, quickly returned, stating that
the sluice-gates were drawn to their utmost by night and by day.
It was manifest that something special had to be done to meet the
emergency, or all my plants would be lost. I immediately ordered the
pavement to be picked up, and a hole to be sunk near the fireplace
three or four feet below the level of the fire, and I ordered this to be
pumped dry several times a day. It was pointed out to the gardener
that the Bourne would not long be down, and that a little patience and
trouble would save our plants. The scheme was fully carried out :
the plants were preserved ; the hole was filled up ; and we have had
no repetition of the event up to this date.
Whenever water rises in a stratum in which fireplaces are fixed—
and it once occurred at the great Palm-house at Kew — we have only to
repeat this plan. It is a mere question of pumping power, to pump
away the water more quickly than it flows ; a plan which, is often
practised by our great engineers on a large scale.
After protecting ourselves against the ravages of the Bourne, I
proceeded with Professor Attfield and Mr. Edward Easton to investi-
gate the cause of the disaster. The Bourne rises amongst the Surrey
hills now and then, runs for a time, and again disappears for years.
It ran in the year 1854, and did not run again till the year 1866.
It rises at the top of the Caterham valley, and runs along its
whole length, through corn-fields, where the very bed of the
stream is for years ploughed up and planted with corn. It then
runs through a channel which is made for it, and passes through
Croydon, and used to empty itself by a culvert close to Croydon
Old Church. I have a suspicion that it has been diverted from that
culvert to the general sewage system ; but if this be so, it is an
THE RIVER WANDLE. 35
engineering mistake to embarrass the irrigation system with this great
volume of water, which ought naturally to flow to the river.
We made a survey of the course of the river. In the Brighton
high-road, houses which would usually have been selected from
their dry situation by rheumatic gentlemen, had one or two feet of
clear bright water in their parlours, and their gardens were converted
into ponds. Proceeding up the Caterham valley, it was entirely
changed in character, being converted into a series of lakes. As an
unintentional caricature, notice boards appeared in the water itself,
announcing that " this eligible land " was to be let for building, and
scaffold boards of commencing houses appeared. This water was ex-
isting as large ponds in situations where at this moment no water can
be found within a hundred or more feet of the surface. Following
the course of the Bourne, we at length came to a field where the water
oozed out of the grass, and this was literally the top of the river.
From our investigations it appeared to us that the Bourne arose
from a supersaturation of the chalk strata to a level much higher
than ordinary. The porous chalk acted as a sponge, and gave out
its water when over-saturated. It is a well-known fact that the
Bourne always rises when the rainfall exceeds a certain quantity
in a given time. Other theories have been started, such as under-
ground caverns or syphons ; but they are mere fanciful creations, and
are not required for the explanation of the phenomena.
Near Brighton, at Patcham, a similar river to the Bourne
occasionally rises, which runs down the London road by Preston, and
empties itself into the sea near the Chain Pier. This river assumed in
the autumn of 1852 very considerable dimensions. I am informed that
another similar intermittent river runs down the Lewes Road ; but this
I have not myself seen.
When the Bourne rises, it is usually followed by pestilence at
Croydon. In 1852 a serious epidemic of fever occurred, possibly from
an interference with the ordinary water-level, and disturbance of the
level of the cesspools which abounded before the Board of Health
commenced their works.
I) 2
MY GARDEN.
The Wandle, taken as a whole, is the perfection of a river ; its water
is as bright as crystal, and is purity itself. It does not overflow7 with
rain, nor is it deficient in dry weather. It does not freeze in winter,
nor does it become very hot in summer. It has existed through all
historic times ; and as long as the chalk retains its porosity, and is pro-
tected by a bed of clay underneath and a bed of blue clay on that
portion of its upper surface which is most depressed, and as long as
rain falls upon the more elevated portion, so long will the water
continue to ooze from the earth by day and by night, by summer
and by winter, and to run its course as the River Wandle, and it
may thus exclaim in the words of the poet —
" Men may come and men may go ; but I go on for ever."
TENNYSON.
CHAPTER III.
GENERAL PLAN OF MY GARDEN.
Hoc erat in votis ; modus agri non ita magnus,
Hortus ubi, e tecto vicinus jugis aquae fons,
Et paulum silvae super his foret." — HORACE, Satira vi.
IT is a common notion that gardens should be laid out for one
general effect ; but the result of such a plan is to produce a single
view, and the whole can be seen at a glance. This is, however, mono-
tonous, and my liking is to have many pictures ; so that my visitors
have to walk a long way before they can see the many beautiful
views which my garden affords ; and little spots of cultivated wildness,
or of special cultivation, are found when they are least expected.
In all my designs, I have tried to suggest to the mind that it
must be so ; and even when my arrangements are most artificial, —
as when a walk doubles upon itself, — it looks that the arrangement
has been made because no other plan was really practicable ; and
when this idea is carried out, the garden looks natural.
Throughout my garden my vegetables, flowers, and fruit-trees are
blended together in one harmonious whole : a plot of carrots and a
row of flowering peas are beautiful objects in themselves, and hence
plots of vegetables and fruit-trees alternate with rosaries, ferneries,
alpineries, and flower-beds.
Flower-beds in front of buildings are arranged as parallelograms ;
and then the whole looks harmonious. My Croquet-ground is a
parallelogram, because, as the hoops of the game are placed geo-
38 MY GARDEN.
metrically, it is offensive to the eye to have curved lines in relation
with them (plate n).
A long straight line is, in a proper place, very pleasing, and my
Pear-tree walk is about 150 yards long, parallel with the Park palings.
Some of my artistic visitors have utterly condemned this walk as
unworthy of a wild garden. Other artists have much admired it,
and Mr. H. R. Robertson has made it a subject for a finished
picture, which was sold even before it was completed. This walk
is overarched, at intervals, with climbing roses ; and planted on one
side with pyramid pear-trees. The general effect is in the highest
degree charming, when we come upon it from paths of curved lines,
and view the chequered shade upon the path. Plate I is an exact
representation of its appearance from the valley of ferns, and who
can look at that picture without admiration and delight ?
Again, my Fern glade is straight, and has a straight grass walk
by its side. The nut bushes, on one side, are parallel with the
stream ; and the grass walk and rows of apple-trees, on the other
side, are also straight. In this case also it would have looked un-
natural to have had curved lines ; and, although I once was tempted
to try it, and had made preparations, for curving the river, I ordered
the materials away, so satisfied was I that straight lines alone would
look natural for the occasion. My fern glade is a spot of great beauty,
and my visitors linger over it with delight in the summer afternoon.
With the exception of places where straight lines look natural, I
eschew them, and also geometric figures, such as ovals, circles, octagons,
as not suitable to the horticulturist, and unpleasing to the eye.
In using curved lines beauty appears to consist in an ever- varying
amount of curve. They should be parts of no regular figure, and
the Indians have supplied us, in the patterns of their shawls, with
forms which ever please us. In arranging them we must be guided
by the eye, and frequently a variation of an inch or two makes an
^ important difference in the effect which is produced.
The plan of my garden, on the scale of six inches to the mile,
shows the general mode in which it is laid out. As we enter by the
GENERAL PLAN OF THE GARDEN.
39
gate near Wallington Bridge, we pass parallel to the vinery by a
straight walk, which leads to the backwater, where the features of my
garden begin. On the right is a rustic view towards Wallington
Bridge, on the left is the fern glade, with its stream, banks of fern
and beautiful sward, whilst a bridge enables us to pass over the back-
water (plates 1 8 and 20) and gain the border of the lake.
At the top of the fern glade, we suddenly come upon the Fern
Glen, a spot full of artificial contrivances, formed in a useless corner,
where the gardeners delighted to put rubbish, and where stinging-
nettles grew luxuriantly six feet high. It is so hidden that many walk
round the garden without finding it.
The fern glen (fig. 40) is traversed by a larger brook, into which
flow one little brook which runs through the fernery, and another
which enters it from an opposite direction; it is crossed by stepping-
FIG. 40.— Fern glen.
stones; and a path in ever-varying curves, and at an ever-varying
level, passes through the glen, emerging over the little brook by other
stepping-stones, in a rosary by the side of the lake.
Under a large willow is arranged a bower for shade from the
mid-day sun, where nightingales, sedge-warblers, and wrens delight to
dwell, and the babbling brook runs every hour of the day, and all
the year round, making music of its own to soothe the nervous system
40 MY GARDEN.
after the excitement of an overgrown city. The lower branches of
the willow-tree are turned down, and over them are trained roses,
honeysuckle, and clematis, to cover the bower.
" Quite overcanopied with lush woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine." — SHAKSPEARE.
It is not possible for the writer to describe the fern glen by words,
nor is it possible for the artist to delineate it with his pencil. It
has been designed to embarrass the eye and bewilder the mind ;
and so well has it fulfilled this end, that visitors have observed that
it was a spot to be pictured by a fanciful imagination in their dreams,
but not actually to exist in the reality of nature. It forms many
pictures in various directions from the same spot, and Mr. Robertson
has made one representation looking towards the bower (plate 8),
and a second from the stepping-stones, at the end of the glen, looking
backwards through a shady vista to its centre (plate 9), which is so
contrived that it is lit up by the sun :
" Sunshine in a shady place."— SPENSER.
The brook falls into the backwater below the overfall, and trout
delight to visit it, and when disturbed to rush back to a place of
shelter under the overfall. They may be watched for hours selecting
their food as it passes by. The stones of the brooks are covered with
insects, diatomes, and freshwater limpets. It truly may be said
that :
" He makes sweet music with the enamelled stones,
Giving a gentle kiss to every sedge
He overtaketh in his pilgrimage,
And so by many winding nooks he strays
With willing sport to the wild ocean."— BROWNING.
The land, as well as the water of my fern glen, is well furnished.
As we enter it we see gigantic osmundas rearing their stiff and majestic
forms ; enormous lady ferns gracefully showing their flowering feathery
forms, with the noble broad ferns expanding their curved fronds to
view. Every stump glistens with the golden-spored common poly-
pody, and near every stone the triangular oak fern shows its fronds.
GENERAL PLAN OF THE GARDEN. 41
Turning round, another view discloses alpine polypody, marsh fern,
beech fern, and oak fern. Cystopteris grows luxuriantly. The beau-
tiful A. Trichomanes and Adiantum nigrum are healthy, but to the
observing eye only do the Woodsias, the filmy ferns, and the Kil-
larney fern appear.
In one part I have attempted a mossery, and literally :
"Here are cool mosses deep,
And through the moss the ivies creep,
And in the stream the long-leaved flowers weep,
And from the craggy ledge the poppy hangs in sleep." — TENNYSON.
The grass of Parnassus abundantly lends its aid to decorate so
lovely a spot, mosses of many kinds appear, and the Northern cloud-
berry and Rubus arcticus grace the scene with their presence. American
adiantums flourish, and a little tiny pond shows frog-bit, the water
soldier, and other aquatic plants. On emerging from the glen we have
to traverse little tiny mountains, such as children might make as
toys, but then they are lit up with Alpine snapdragons, the lovely
gentians, primulas, and other Alpine plants, with sempervivums at the
apices of the stones, and many terrestrial orchids at their base. Here
the " lily of the field " expands its beautiful flowers in autumn
with such effect that "Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like
one of these." A cranberry plantation is arranged on the slopes
towards the stream, so that the mind is led from this weak horti-
cultural sham to the real glorious natural scenery of Zermatt and
the high Alps, where such plants delight to grow.
We pass from the glen, and wonder how in so small a space and
short a time our minds could have been so bewildered by so many
objects beautiful and curious to the eye, and by so many sounds
pleasing to the ear. We then pass through a rosary to the borders
of the lake. Around this a walk is made, broken however at inter-
vals by trees to prevent a monotonous effect. This walk, running by
the border of the lake, presents a continual but ever-varied curve,
and leads on the east to the orchard-house. Along this walk, six feet
apart, splendid specimens of rose bushes are planted two feet from
42 MY GARDEN.
the path. In front of these there is a flower border full of pinks,
picotees, snapdragons, pentstemons, and behind the roses vegetables
and strawberries are grown.
By a little skilful planting and a turn in the walk, we come sud-
denly upon the orchard-house and Poor Man's house, and also upon
the willow bower by the water, whereby a totally different scene is
presented to the eye. Here we are perplexed by many paths : one
leads to the orchard-house, another path to the Poor Man's house, a
third to the pear-tree walk, the fourth or apple-tree walk passes to
the croquet-ground, and the original walk itself is continued by the
lake to the apparent boundary of the ground. Our eyes are again
deceived, for, by a short turn, we find ourselves in a little picturesque
garden with a pretty summer-house covered in front with roses,
with a bower on a mound, and the entrance into the indoor fernery,
which is reached by a sunken walk. The view into Becldington Park,
by the door of the fernery, is very charming, especially in winter,
when the snow-covered trees and grass form a striking contrast with
the perpetual spring of the fernery, which is figured in the winter
scene at the end of the book. I have seen visitors quite startled
when they have come unexpectedly upon this garden.
From the summer-house garden we walk down the pear-tree walk,
and glance at my two hundred kinds of pears on one side. Peep-
ing over the palings into Beddington Park, which offers pretty wood-
like scenery with herds of cattle feeding on the herbage, we arrive at
the Valley of Ferns (plate 10). Really this valley so differs from any
other scene in the garden that its effect is striking. It is like a visit
to a new country. Through its centre runs a stream pellucid, spark-
ling, and bright, never freezing in winter and deliciously cool in
summer.
" That for itself a cooling covert makes
'Gainst the hot season." — KEATS.
On each side of its banks our English and North American
ferns grow, encircled but not overshadowed by trees, as fine as they
do in their natural habitats. At the extreme end of the valley of
Plate 10.
GENERAL PLAN OF THE GARDEN.
43
ferns is a bower which commands the pear-tree walk (plate I), the
valley of ferns with its brook, and a most charming view of Bedding-
ton Park.
" Here can I sit alone, unseen of any,
And, to the nightingale's complaining notes,
Tune my distresses, and record my wqes." — SHAKSPEARE.
Adjoining the valley of ferns we have a miniature forest of ferns,
where large tree ferns are planted out in summer with good effect ;
and thence crossing the brook by a stepping-stone, we arrive at our
out-door exotic fernery. This is protected by stumps of trees, and is
so planted around that the force of cold winds is broken. Here
species of adiantums flourish, and stand severe winters. Here the
grand Lomaria chilensis shows its noble stiff foliage, so unlike that
of other ferns. Here the Woodwardia orientalis and W. radicans live
but do not thrive. Here the Cystopteris bulbifera grows like a weed,
and seems to emulate the Prussians by taking to itself the ground
G. 41. — Alpinery.
which should belong to its neighbour. The water ferns come next,
then the wall ferns, where Asplenium germanicwu and Ceterach grow
as though they were at home ; and then we examine the cave where
polypody covers the top, and scolopendium and other shade-loving
ferns live in the interior.
The Saxifrage garden next comes to view, disclosing on the oppo-
site bank the Sempervivum garden and Sedum garden, when we
arrive at the Alpinery (fig. 41). It is a mound raised at one part, sunk
at a second, and sloping to the water's edge at a third, so as to
44 MY CARD EX.
give each plant the position it loves. There are probably not less
than three or four hundred species of plants. There is scarce a
season in which some are not in flower, and mostly this mound is
laden with flowers of the choicest and loveliest description.
Here the flowers of the Alps luxuriate by the side of the flowers
of the Pyrenees ; here the lovely anemones of Rome grow side by
side with the wild, crocus of Switzerland; and here many a little gem
which is heedlessly passed by rustics as an inglorious weed, is cultivated,
and becomes a reminiscence of bygone visits to other places. After
examining the alpinery we look at the water-cress bed, where this
universally appreciated esculent grows in great perfection in pure
water ; we look at our terrestrial orchids and violet garden, and come
upon the Croquet-ground (plate n). Our croquet-
n
n
n
n
n
I
ground has been selected for the partial shade which
noble elms afford from the sun in the afternoon, a
time at which this game is usually played. The
croquet-ground itself is an oblong with rounded
corners. The scene from it, when either the roses
or the phloxes are in blossom, is most delightful ;
and near it we have a rustic building (plate 12)
covered with thatch, used for refreshment when my friends favour
the garden by their presence.
By the side of the alpinery we have a picturesque bridge with
a specimen of Arundo donax, and fine examples of the English reed
(plate 13), and in the background abundance of foxgloves.
" Foxglove and nightshade side by side —
Emblems of punishment and pride." — SCOTT.
We return by the apple-tree walk to examine our system of cold
frames, where much of the horticultural work is performed ; we return
by the border of the lake, which commands a view of the paper-
mill (plate 14) in the "occupation of Mr. Manico ; we then observe
the fish ladder and the eel trap, and cross the bottom of the lake by
a bridge to the mill tail (plate 15), where a totally different scene
presents itself to the eye. The water of the river coming from the
Plate 13.
GENERAL PLAN OF THE GARDEN.
45
mill partakes of the character of a rapid, and here the water rising
in the grounds of Wallington House flows into the river by the
Crystal Waterfall (fig. 42). The water falls over an edge of moss-grown
slate, looking more like a sheet of glass than of water. This peculiar
effect is due to the presence of chalk dissolved in carbonic acid,
and to the total absence of any solid particles, as is usual in chalk
waters coming from the depths of the earth. After travelling on
Fu;. 42.— The Crystal Waterfall.
the Continent I return to this little crystal waterfall as unrivalled for
its particular qualities. It is unfortunately at the boundary of my
garden, or I should embellish it with surroundings worthy of its
special loveliness.
Returning, we have fine views of the noble trees in the grounds
of Wallington House, which are as large as any in Europe. We
have a pleasant view of the garden from the south bank (plate 16),
and at the top of the lake a charming scene in the Park (plate 17)
is presented to the eye, which, however, the ravages of the desolating
builder have of late years much impaired by altering the course of
the river.
My garden presents a great variety of scenery compared with its
limited extent : two spots separated by a few feet present views which
differ widely. The true principle in the construction of a garden is
to obtain the utmost possible effect, by taking advantage of the leading
46
MY GARDEN.
features of the landscape and the most striking natural objects. To
produce changing pictures much thought must be bestowed, but every
one having an eye for the beautiful may utilize these points, and design
in his mind scenes which he can carry out with his hand, and ever
afterwards enjoy the contemplation of them.
" But, ere we stir the yet unbroken ground,
The various course of seasons must be found ;
The weather, and the setting of the winds,
The culture suiting to the several kinds
Of seeds and plants, and what will thrive and rise,
And what the genius of the soil denies." — DRYDKN'S Gcorgics.
CHAPTER IV.
PRINCIPLES OF GARDENING.
" Ouare agite o. proprios generatim discite cultus,
Agricolas, fructusque feros mollite colendo ;
Neu segnes jaceant terrae."— VIRGIL.
THERE are certain physiological principles which must be kept in
mind by every gardener who desires to practise his art with
success. The plants which he cultivates are built up of cells, and each
plant is developed from a pre-existing cell or series of cells ; and hence
it is not within the range of human power to make a plant from any
primary elements, and even did we know perfectly the elementary
substances of which a plant is composed, no person could put them
together to make a plant.
Some persons do indeed believe that, under favourable circum-
stances, a plant may be formed of inorganic matter, but their belief
is founded upon unexplained phenomena connected with the lower class
of plants, and their speculations rather partake of fancy than of fact.
Throughout the whole range of cultivated plants there is a unity of
design, a unity of obedience to certain fixed laws, which has led some
minds to think that there is but one plant, which time and circum-
stances have modified into many varieties now separated as species.
Gardeners know as a fact that every plant is subject to variation
within certain limits ; hence the origin of florist's flowers. There are
more than a thousand varieties of camellias, a thousand varieties of
48 MY GARDEN.
pears and perhaps more of apples, and there are innumerable varieties
of all the kinds of plants which the gardener cultivates in his flower-
garden. Nevertheless, we cannot change one plant into another,
though in practice it is sometimes extremely difficult to tell whether
a plant is a variety or a species. Good botanists differ widely on
this point in particular instances, some having a tendency to multiply
species, others to restrict them. Every seedling plant has an indi-
viduality of its own, as every human being presents some points of
difference, and the gardener selects those which best suit his particular
purpose. If one plant cannot be changed, and never has been changed,
into another, then it follows that each species has at some time in
the world's history been specifically created. I myself believe, and
most naturalists believe, that each species has been specifically created;
but it is as easy to conceive that one organic structure should have
been in the beginning created, which had the power under certain
changed external circumstances of being developed into the tens of
thousands of plants which live over the whole surface of the globe.
Every plant is composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in
combination, water as water, and certain mineral matters which are
interspersed throughout the entire structure of the plant. The carbon
is obtained from the carbonic acid which exists invariably in the
atmosphere ; the compounds of nitrogen are derived from aqueous
solutions of ammonia or nitrates ; and the earthy salts are also ab-
sorbed from solutions of matters contained in the ground.
The plant, to assimilate these matters to itself, must be acted
upon by the physical forces of heat and light, in an atmosphere
having a proper quantity of water. No gardener can succeed without
attending to all these points, as every species requires its own par-
ticular treatment.
All plants reduce their carbon compounds, as the woody fibre,
starch, gum, and sugar, by means of their leaves, from the air, and
derive the nitrogenized principles, as their albumen, together with the
water and earthy salts, by means of their roots, from the ground. The
leaves, to perform properly their functions, require moisture in the
PRINCIPLES OF GARDENING. 49
atmosphere ; and the roots must be in contact with soil in a particular
physical condition. Some plants, as orchids and ferns, must be kept in
a moist atmosphere; others, as cacti, like a drier condition. Some plants,
as vines, like a moist atmosphere whilst they are growing, and a drier
atmosphere whilst they are fruiting ; and in my garden there are many
contrivances for supplying water to the air of the glass-houses.
The amount of woody fibre, which may be reduced by leaves
from the carbonic acid of the atmosphere, has been determined by
Messrs. Lawes and Gilbert to be about 4,000 Ibs. in weight in a
single year; and Professor Odling has computed the air over one
acre of land to contain 20,000 Ibs. of carbon in a state of com-
bination as carbonic acid, which is present to the extent of about 2\
per cent.
The roots of a plant must have their own proper position.
The orchids or air-plants have their roots in the air, or merely
covered with moss. Some plants like peaty soil ; others, as peach-
trees, require the closest loam. Fruit-trees in pots will not succeed
unless the soil is rammed with a mallet to make it close. The
Riuncx aquaticus flourishes with its roots under water, whereas most
trees, and numerous plants, would perish if their roots were under
such conditions. The surface of a pot is favourable for the roots of
many plants ; as they derive air, moisture, — and probably earthy salts,
—in such a situation. Brick rubbish is a very suitable material
for the roots of a great multitude of plants.
The three principal soils used in my garden are top spit loam from
commons, coarse sand, and fibrous peat, — which is entirely a vegetable
product. In these materials, alone or mixed together, the greater
number of all plants may be grown. At Florence I learnt that rotten
wood took the place of peat for camellias and azaleas, and on trial
in this country I found it to succeed perfectly.
The supply of water to plants is necessary for vegetation. It is
mainly supplied by the root ; and for every grain of solid constituents
added to a plant it is found, by experiment, that about 250 grains of
water must pass through it. It is fatal to many plants to move
E
50 MY GARDEN.
them suddenly from a moist to a dry atmosphere, as the leaves
cannot adapt themselves at once to the changed conditions.
The fate of many plants depends upon the amount of water sup-
plied to the root. The health of an Erica cannot be maintained,
except by the most careful watering ; many plants are killed by
being kept too dry or too wet, and the skill of a gardener is nowhere
more shown than in his capacity for successful watering.
Plants will not, however, live with air and water alone. They
must be supplied with nitrogenized compounds and mineral ingredients,
particularly phosphates and salts of potash. The quantity of potash
in the ashes of plants is large, but varying with each plant. In fir
it is about half a part per thousand ; in elm it is 4, in vine-shoots
it is 5-J-, in fern it is 6J, in bean-stalks it is 20, in wheat straw it is
47, and in fumitory it is 79 parts in a thousand. In wine the potash
is frequently deposited as cream of tartar on the sides of the bottle.
Curiously enough, in sea-plants or plants growing near the sea, soda
takes the place of potash ; and hence it is usual to salt asparagus and
sea-kale beds, — both of which plants grow near the sea.
Many plants contain silex, as the sugar-cane, and various grass
stems ; and all plants of necessity require phosphates for their growth.
Some chemists suppose that most earths contain an ample supply of
the chief mineral ingredients required for plants. This, no doubt, is
the case when top spit loam is used ; otherwise the soil probably be-
comes, at times, exhausted of its mineral constituents. It is a lament-
able fact that we have not yet sufficient knowledge of the exact mineral
constituents of the various species of plants, much less of the exact
quantity of salts which ought to be added to the soil.
It is curious that, although clay is so useful for the growth of
most plants, there is no instance of an organic body having aluminium
in its composition ; but clay performs an important part in retaining
various substances used by plants for food.
In the absence of more exact knowledge, the best mode of sup-
plying the necessary food to plants is to use the excreta of animals.
This contains all the changed matters of plants on which they have
rRIXCTPLES OF GARDENING. 51
fed ; and we thus return to the soil the mineral constituents which
the plants have taken away, and the earth regains that which has
been lost.
We have employed the ashes of the burnt cuttings of trees over
our vine borders with good success: we have also used dissolved
bones for the same purpose. We have used ivory dust in large quan-
tities, beneficially. But care must be taken in buying bones, as I
once had some which killed every root which touched them, and
which had probably been mixed with noxious chemicals. Lime,
chalk, and brick rubbish have ever been found useful ingredients ;
and brick rubbish is one of the most valuable materials which can
be used, — as the delicate Alpine plant, the rapid-growing vine, and the
largest fruit-tree all delight to grow in it.
Nitrogenized matter must also be added to the soil. My garden
is naturally so poor that it will not return the seed sown, without
manure containing nitrogenized matter. Nitrogen, to a small extent,
may be obtained . from the air ; though, unquestionably, the plant
derives the greater part, if not the entire amount of its nitrogen from
the soil. It may be derived from ammonia, a compound of nitrogen
and hydrogen, and its salts ; it may be derived from nitrates, com-
pounds of nitrogen and oxygen ; and lastly, it may be obtained by
the direct absorption of nitrogenized animal or vegetable matter.
Vegetals are competent to take nitrogen directly from decom-
posing animal matter, which may be known by watering them with a
solution of putrid matter. I have known asparagus to be so watered,
but nothing could be more offensive than the vegetal when placed
on the table. The cabbage tribe, which are gross feeders, are also
offensive, and perhaps sometimes dangerous after having been so
treated. For this reason at my garden all putrid manures are strictly
forbidden ; and stable-dung, in an ammoniacal state, exclusively used.
This is the best manure for a garden, and yields the finest flavoured
vegetals. As of necessity our garden is compelled to yield large
produce, so it is requisite to supply the ground with large quantities
of manure.
E 2
52 MY GARDEN.
Guano contains much ammonia with phosphates, as it is the drop-
pings of sea-birds, which have accumulated on barren rocks for ages.
We only employ it to a small extent, and then chiefly when we
desire large onions. Guano is injurious to strawberries, causing the
plants to run to leaf; and on the whole it had better be discarded from
the garden, in favour of good stable manure.
I have employed woollen materials. When laid upon the surface
of a pot, containing a fruit-tree, it keeps the earth moist. After a
little time the roots form in it, and the whole becomes one tangled
mass of rootlets. The wool rots, and the roots then become exposed,
and are in the end destroyed by frost or drought.
When I saw this extraordinary result I forbade its use, but under
certain precautions no doubt it may occasionally be profitably
employed.
There appears to be an exception with respect to epiphytic plants,
or plants without roots, which live on other plants. Take for example
the dodder, which lives on clover and heath plants. These plants,
however, twist round other plants, and hug them so closely, that the
cells of one species come in direct contact with the cells of another.
By this absolute contact of cells the salts are able to pass from one
plant to the other, according to Graham's law of Dialysis. Professor
Graham worked out the law of Dialysis, and separated all bodies
into colloids and crystalloids. The first — such as gum and starch — do
not readily pass through animal membranes. The second, or crystal-
loids— such as alkaline salts — pass through a layer of membrane imper-
vious to water, as though it had no existence,
By this means a rapidly growing epiphytic plant encircles with its
fatal embrace another plant, and pumps out by dialysis all its salts.
Th.e close manner in which the epiphyte attaches itself is well seen
in a very curious plant brought from Chili by the missionaries, called
Cuscuta reflexa, which lives upon the ivy and many of our green-
house plants. A fine specimen was given to me by my friend Mr.
Terry, and it is most interesting to see how firmly it attaches itself
to the leaves and stems of other plants.
/YvYAr//Y.AVY OF GARDENING. 53
These considerations must influence our minds in the growth of
orchidaceous plants, which grow in their native woods on living plants ;
and it has been a question with me, whether in our green-houses they
are supplied with their requisite earthy salts ; the whole matter requires
to be experimentally worked out with care.
Notwithstanding our plants may have every material requisite
for their nutrition and growth, yet they must be under the influence
of physical forces. Every plant requires a definite degree of heat.
One plant requires for its successful cultivation a heat little short of
90° Fahr., which we can obtain artificially; another plant lives at
the tops of the snow-clad mountains, where it freezes every night
in the year. Heat we can generate, cold we cannot regulate — or
rather we never have regulated it as yet, though we could as easily
circulate cold water as hot in our pipes. The learned Professor of
Botany at Florence told me, that he found it impossible to grow
Alpine plants in that city.
The changes which take place in the interior of plants are caused by
the action of light, which enables them to reduce the carbon products, —
such as gum, starch, and woody fibre, — from the carbonic acid of the
atmosphere. The regulation of the amount of light to various plants,
requires judgment and skill. Hard-wooded plants, as the peach and
nectarine, require the fullest exposure to light ; and I do not like my
vines to have any shade. Some delicate plants like shade in the
hottest part of the day. This is accomplished, in this country, by a
light woven material to cover the glass ; but at Paris by thin wooden
laths painted green and fastened together by wire, so that the whole
can be rolled up and taken away in autumn, when the intensity of
the light begins to be feeble. Sometimes we wash over the glass
with a pale blue tint to modify the warmer rays. In my garden all
materials for shading are avoided as much as possible, but plants
which do not bear a strong light are placed in a north aspect, exposed
to the light of the sky, but not to the direct rays of the sun.
Experiment and experience has taught me to use more light
even for ferns than has hitherto been considered beneficial, but then
54 MY GARDEN.
the plants must be educated gradually to bear it. I have learnt a
lesson from observing lady-ferns growing in the full blaze of the
sun, and ceterach flourishing on Mount Vesuvius, and on the bare
rocks of the Apennines near Florence, under conditions which would
have led me to suspect that they would have been killed.
Light particularly develops the chlorophyl, or green colouring
matter ; and without light, vegetables are etiolated or made white.
Some culinary vegetables are only used in this white state, such as
sea-kale, celery, and endive, which are scarcely eatable when green,
from the powerful flavours they contain.
For the full perfection of all fruit, the fullest exposure to the rays
of the sun is necessary, and heat alone without light will not answer
the purpose. A pear, peach, nectarine, or strawberry is worthless
unless grown under the action of light.
The solar light is constituted of various rays. The violet or
chemical rays, and the red or heat rays, are the two important rays for
the horticulturist. Out of doors the preponderance of one ray over
another is ever varying, as photographers well know ; but, when we
interpose glass between the plant and the sun, we find it desirable
to choose glass with a slight green tint, as it is better that chemical
rays should fall upon the leaves of the plant, rather than heat rays.
It is natural to expect that the influence of electricity or mag-
netism on plants should be considerable. My experiments have been
negative upon this point, and we may say that nothing is definitively
known up to this time, though it is possible, and even probable, that
a plant placed under electric tension may have its power of leaf
evaporation increased.
Plants supplied with the necessary materials for growth, and placed
in a suitable temperature, and exposed to a proper amount of light,
do not grow continually. They grow, they rest ; they grow, and rest
again. Rest is as necessary for plants as sleep is for man ; but rest
does not mean stagnation, as changes doubtless are still taking place
in the internal economy of the plant necessary to its future welfare :
but however that may be, no gardener can be successful who does
PRINCIPLES QF GARDEXIXC,.
not know how and when to rest his plants. In tropical countries
plants rest by the drought which alternates with wet. All plants
require a season of rest, and it is probable that want of success in
their culture more frequently results from ignorance of this fact, and
of the peculiarity of their growth, than from any other causes.
in the cultivation of plants, we have different objects to obtain.
We desire our lettuces and salad plants to be succulent and crisp,
and therefore we grow them as quickly as possible, to prevent the
development of woody fibre, which would cause them to be stringy.
Our forest trees we grow for woody fibre or timber ; our potatoes
we grow principally for the starch they contain, and hence they must
be fully exposed to light ; our flowering plants are cultivated for
blossom, which is obtained by affording the plant ample rest ; but
the highest aim of the horticulturist is to obtain fruit of fine colour,
substance, form, and flavour, and this can only be accomplished after
the blossom is set by a skilful adaptation of light, heat, moisture,
and nourishment.
" I'll take the showers as they fall,
I will not vex my bosom ;
Enough, if at the end of all,
A little garden blossom.'*— -TENNYSON.
CHAPTER V.
M Y G A R D E N TOOLS.
" Turn ferri rigor, atque argutas lamina serrae ;
Nam primi cuneis scindebant fissile lignum :
Turn variae venere artes ; labor omnia vicit
Improbus et duris urgens in rebus egestas." — VIRGIL, Georgicon.
A SKILLED gardener will do more with bad tools than an unskilled
one with good tools ; nevertheless, it is desirable that the garden
should be supplied with the best mechanical appliances. In the division
of labour which now exists we are required rather to select tools than
to devise them ; and the manufacturers of Sheffield tax their ingenuity
to invent, and their skill to construct, such as shall be serviceable to
the gardener and tempt him to buy.
Upon the question of tools, I have consulted Messrs. Spears and
Jackson of Sheffield, who advocate the employment of steel for the
construction of tools instead of weldings of steel and iron, as com-
monly used, because they say that flaws will sometimes occur in the
union of steel and iron, and the steel has to be decarbonized to a
certain amount to render it capable of being thoroughly blended with
the iron. Most of the tools in my garden are made entirely of steel,
and have been procured at their manufactory.
The one all-important garden tool is the spade (fig. 43). It should
be strongly made of steel, and so firmly fixed in the handle that it
shall not readily break. Some persons use spades made of steel and
iron, with the intention that the iron may wear and the steel remain,
GARDEN TOOLS,
57
so that a cutting edge may be always maintained. This device has
the merit of copying nature, as the rat's tooth is constructed of bone
of two degrees of hardness, by which arrangement, as one part wears
more rapidly than the other, a sharp cutting edge always exists.
It is curious that most South Europeans use a spade with a long
handle, very dissimilar from our pattern. They get through a great
FIG. 45.
FIG. 46.
FIG. 43.
FIG. 44.
FIG. 47.
FIG. 48.
deal of work with these long spades by using their hands alone, but,
as far as I know, this spade is never employed in this country.
There is a useful modification of a spade used for laying drain
pipes which we employ (fig. 44). Another tool is used for cutting
the edges of grass (fig. 45) : for cutting off suckers, or digging out
long-rooted weeds, we have recourse to the spud (fig. 46), and, as a
companion to the spade, the shovel (fig. 47) is useful for the removal
of earth loosened by the spade or pickaxe.
For digging, the steel four-pronged digging fork (fig. 48) is also
used, and smaller forks (fig. 49)
are of great value to loosen the
earth in our flower borders ; in fact
no other instrument should ever be
used for that purpose.
For gravelly soil we employ
the pickaxe (fig. 50), an instrument
pointed at one end and sharpened FiG.49. FIG. so.
at the other, to cut roots. We also frequently use the mattock,
MY GARDEN.
which is like a pickaxe, but has a flattened transverse cutting edge
at one end, and at the other an edge set in the opposite direction,
and this is an instrument of great utility where large and strong
roots abound. We also frequently have to use a heavy pointed iron
bar for making holes in which it is desirable to insert stakes.
The hoe (fig. 51) is employed to destroy weeds and to let the air
and dews into the ground. The amount of crop very much depends
upon whether the hoe is hung up in the shed or employed on the
garden. It pays well to wear out the hoe by fair use. An instru-
ment called the Dutch hoe (fig. 52) is valuable in hot weather when
FIG. 51.
FIG. 53.
weeds grow fast, as a labourer can run it over the whole garden
in a few hours, when every weed may be cut down to perish in the
hot sun. Except for this purpose, it is an inferior instrument to the
common hoe.
We employ rakes (fig. 53) rather more for ornamental than for
FIG. 54.
Fin. 55.
really useful purposes, as undoubtedly for most crops the ground is
better left moderately rough, by which the roots are better aerated.
In a garden like mine, where alterations are constantly progressing,
GARDEN TOOLS.
59
a barrow is indispensable, and we find the common wooden form
is the best (fig. 54). For carrying our plants or fruit a hand-barrow
(fig. 55) is used, carried by two men, and it is pleasant to see the
joy of the children when it arrives laden with strawberries and the
other fruits of the season for the dinner-table.
Our large pots are carried by a chain placed round the pot and
attached to a pole over the shoulders of the men. As we have the
advantage of a lake, a punt is used to transport manure or plants
from one part of the garden to another.
In my garden, where robust forest trees are intermingled with
slender shrubs and tender plants, a variety of cutting instruments
Fro. 56. •
FIG. 59.
FIG. 57.
FIG. 58.
must necessarily be used. For cutting down trees the axe (fig. 56)
is the chief instrument, and it is remarkable how a tree of a hundred
years' growth yields to a few strokes of the woodman's axe, when
properly wielded. In private grounds the cross-cut saw takes its place ;
but we have neither necessity nor desire for the frequent use of these
implements. For the removal of the large branches we use chiefly a
pruning saw ; for the removal of the smaller a chopper or bill-hook is
more handy (fig. 57) ; whilst for the pruning of mere shoots the gar-
dener always cuts with a pruning-knife (fig. 58). The various forms of
pruning shears are not approved, as they bruise the wood when unskil-
fully handled, and in this respect are inferior to a sharp knife ; although
garden shears (fig. 59) are almost constantly used for hedge-clipping.
6o
MY GARDEN.
A special form of shears is also used for grass-edgings (fig. 60). A
particular form of knife is used for budding, the blade for making the
incision, and an ivory handle for raising the bark (fig. 6 1). A special form
of knife is made to cut asparagus (fig. 62), and a long pair of scissors
(fig. 63) is useful to thin the berries of overladen bunches of grapes.
FIG. 60.
For sharpening the cutting instruments we have a grindstone. We
sometimes cut the grass with a scythe, but prefer the mowing machine,
of which there are many kinds now in operation. The one at my
garden was made by Green (fig. 64), and has lasted satisfactorily for
some years in constant work without any inconvenience. The grass
lawn is essentially an English feature, and a lawn may now be kept
by a good machine in a state worthy of its English reputation with
only a moderate amount of labour.
FIG. 65.
FIG. 66.
FIG. 67.
For the removal of small plants the trowel (fig. 65) is valuable,
as by it the earth about the roots is removed with the plant. We
GARDEN TOOLS.
61
have a very strong trowel (fig. 66) made of steel, with a piece of
wood fixed on the steel for a handle. This is invaluable for the re-
moval of wild flowers and ferns, and no lover of his garden should
ever travel without it. I also always myself carry, in ferny countries,
a strong steel instrument made in the form of a cross (fig. 67),
and plants can be extracted by it from walls and stones with ease.
For planting, a dibber (fig. 68) is employed, and it is useful,
as the gardener forcibly drives the earth against the rootlets
of the plant, which much promotes the success of the opera-
tion. When trees or large bushes are removed, a wooden
rammer takes the place of the dibber, but really it is nothing
more than a large dibber to ram the earth against the small
rootlets of the tree.
In every garden where there are many plant-houses the watering
becomes a serious business, and especially so if water has to be pro-
cured from a distance. At my garden water is abundant, and
therefore we have only to consider the hydraulic contrivances which
FIG. 63.
FIG. 69.
FIG. 70.
we directly use for the purpose of watering the plants. We employ
water-pots of various sizes (fig. 69), and another form lately invented
which throws a fine jet of water over delicate plants (fig. 70). When
FIG.
we desire that the water should dash against the plant and thoroughly
wash the leaves to remove foreign matters, we use syringes. Reed's
syringes are excellent. We use, besides, one of a very useful form (fig.
62
MY GARDEN.
71), an American invention, in which one tube works within another, and
it may be used by the gardener with any amount of force which may
be considered desirable. This latter has an india-rubber tube to be
placed in a pail of water, by which arrangement a large quantity of
water can be thrown in a short time. The orchard-house demands
large quantities of water, and requires more powerful machinery. At
my garden a Warner's pump (fig. 72) is used to water the orchard-
house. It throws large quantities of water with such force, that no
aphis can withstand it. The use of the pump involves a consider-
able economy of labour, and is thoroughly to be commended. It
FIG. 72.
FIG. 73.
cannot be worked satisfactorily without two men to pump and
another to manage the hose, but all the trees in the orchard-house
can be thoroughly watered in a very short time.
In every garden a heavy roller is requisite (fig. 73). The frosts in
winter raise the walks and destroy them, and the droughts of summer
cause the loose stones to be separated from the paths. Under both
these circumstances a heavy garden roller is necessary ; and in early
spring, when the worms have thrown up their casts, the grass is equally
benefited by a heavy rolling.
In laying out gardens rods of five feet and ten feet are useful, and
occasionally a square is a great help. A compass may be required
to determine aspect, though the position of the sun at twelve o'clock
always suffices to guide the gardener in this respect. Regularity of
rows is secured by the line and reel, and questions of magnitude are
GARDEN TOOLS.
determined by the measuring tape. Sometimes we have had to employ
a dumpy level to regulate the flow of water, and a spirit level must be
considered as indispensable in every gentleman's garden.
Besides all these ordinary gardener's tools, I supply to my gardener
a sledge-hammer, common hammer, files, mallet, chisels, gimlets, screw-
drivers, pincers, wire-cutters, centre-bits, and plane. He also has the
use of glazier's diamond, putty-knife, and materials for painting.
Slight repairs can thus be immediately effected without the waste of
time in having recourse to the village carpenter.
It is of very little profit to have a collection of trees without
having them carefully and enduringly labelled. The direct system
is to place the name on the tree. Various plans of writing on metal
have been suggested, but they last but for a short period. I have
tried a system of electrotype labels, but had some difficulty in getting
them made regularly. A system has been adopted of stereotype ; but
at length I think that I have hit upon the plan to be ever hereafter
used. The names are set up in type in the ordinary way, when instead
of printing a sheet of paper a sheet of lead is indented by passing it
through the press. The sheet of names is then cut up by a pair of
scissors, the end is turned over, and a hole punched by the tool used
by shoemakers to punch button-holes. When the label is finished
FIG. 74.
FIG. 75.
it is attached to the tree by a copper wire (fig. 74), and there is little
fear but that these indented labels will endure from generation to
generation. Where we have not these indented labels,
numbers having reference to a book may take their place.
A simple plan of notation in use by horticulturists is
figured by Thompson (fig. 75). It constitutes a tally,
which may be made by the gardener at once. I never
used this plan myself, though I have often seen it adopted. When I
use numbers, which I hope totally to abandon, I use a circular piece
FIG. 76.
64 MY GARDEN.
of lead with a hole punched in it. This piece of lead (fig. 76) has the
number struck with steel punches, with the required numbers, and a
set of punches are kept for this purpose.
At my garden, earthenware labels are very extensively in requisi-
tion, especially for ferns and Alpine plants. I find, however, that frost
frequently breaks them, a matter which the manufacturer should care-
fully consider. Wooden labels rubbed over with white lead and written
upon with a lead pencil, answer perfectly well for ordinary crops
lasting not more than one season. None of these plans are without
their disadvantages, and for fruit-trees there is no better mode of
retaining in perpetuity the names of trees than by making a plan of
the garden and arranging the trees by orders. The position of any tree
may always then be known, and even if one dies its place can be
left vacant, and the name of any other may be determined by its
relation to those around it. I always have used this plan myself.
Gardeners should always have a marking iron for branding the
initials of their owner on all tools, that the ownership may at once be
recognized, and that they may not be removed by mistake by
casual workmen.
In the cultivation of all plants temperature is of primary import-
ance, and for the estimation of heat and cold thermometers come
to our aid. We have many thermometers, and every large plant-
house should have several placed in various situations. For rough
work, thermometers at about a shilling
a-piece suffice, provided good instru-
ments are at hand for comparison.
For exact observation a set of tested
FlG- 77- instruments must be employed. First,
it is necessary to have a minimum thermometer (fig. 77) placed an
inch or two above the grass to determine the lowest temperature of
vegetation at night It is then equally important to learn the maxi-
mum heat of the sun, which is most conveniently done by a black
bulb thermometer placed in vaaw in a glass tube (fig. 77). These
two thermometers inform us of the extreme cold of night and the
GARDEN TOOLS.
extreme power of the sun by day, but there are others to indicate
the highest and lowest temperature of the air. These are placed
under protection of a little shed (fig.
78), so arranged that neither sun nor
rain can affect the instruments.
My scientific instruments were made
by Messrs. Thornthwaite of Newgate
Street.
Visitors are requested never to
touch these instruments ; but, as
I well know the tendency of all FlG ?8
Englishmen to see with their fingers, two or three common thermo-
meters are placed on the stand to draw away their attention from
the real instruments of observation. Some years ago I designed a
thermometer to use with an electric current to determine at a distance
any deviation of limit of temperature in houses ; thus a gardener may
have, in his bed-room, an instrument to show the temperature of every
plant-house. This was perfectly successful ; but it has not been
employed at my garden.
The drying power of the air is estimated by the difference of
temperature shown between a dry and a wet bulb thermometer ; as the
greater the difference, the greater the dryness of the atmosphere. The
bulb is kept wet by a covering of silk, the end of which dips in dis-
tilled water. This contrivance is called Mason's hygrometer, and is
shown in the centre of our meteorological observatory (fig, 78).
It has always appeared to me advisable to determine the amount
of evaporation which takes place in a definite time, as that has an
important bearing upon vegetation. For this purpose I employ
a tube graduated to one-tenth of an inch (fig. 79), which shows
how much water evaporates per week. These evaporations are
calculated to lead to much valuable information, and are nearly
as important as thermometers. To determine the amount of
rain which falls week by week, we use a rain-gauge, the result of FIG. 79.
the observations of which is given in the calendar of my garden.
66
MY GARDEN,
We have a barometer at the garden : for horticultural purposes it
is nearly useless, as the influence of variation of atmospheric pressure
on organic beings is unknown. When it suddenly varies to any great
extent, the gardener should then beware of storms, and make all
tight before the hurricane arrives, or his roofs may be taken off, as
mine have been, in a sudden squall.
The gardener ought ever to have at hand a pocket magnifying
glass to examine the leaves of his plants, as by its aid fungi and
insects may be detected, and their effects prevented.
When the gardener has all the tools which I have described, he
is possessed of all that can be reasonably required to conduct his
garden with success and profit.
" Strength may wield the ponderous spade,
May turn the clod, and wheel the compost home ;
But elegance, chief grace the garden shows
And most attractive, is the fair result
Of thought, the creature of a polished mind."
COWPER'S The Garden.
CHAPTER VI.
MY FRAMES AND GLASS- HO USES.
" Th' uplifted frame, compact at every joint,
And overlaid with clear, translucent glass,
It settles next upon the sloping mount,
Whose sharp declivity shoots off secure
From the dash'd pane the deluge as it falls." — COWPER.
THE amount of vegetation which can be obtained in any glass
structure is strictly limited by the extent of surface of glass
exposed to the light ; hence, when we desire, in this climate, many
plants out of their natural season, or which grow in a warmer climate,
we must have a proportionately extensive amount of glass.
A great deal can be done with glass lights eight feet by four,
which may be conveniently arranged in groups of twos, threes, and
fours (fig. 80). The structure is very simply made. A strong stake
is driven into the ground at each of the four corners, and on the
Fir.. 8®
FIG. 81. — Two-light Frame.
outside slabs of timber about f -in. thick are nailed to these to form
the walls, and over the whole a wooden frame is placed to receive
the lights.
F 2
68 MY GARDEN.
It is desirable to ascertain the water-level or drainage before the
frame is made, and the ground should be excavated to about three
inches of the highest level to which water ever rises. The excavated
earth should be thrown outside the structure, so that the whole is
firmly imbedded in the ground, which preserves a uniform tempera-
ture in cold weather. Many desirable plants, such as azaleas,
can be well preserved in the coldest weather by simply covering the
lights with matting.
In these frames the cauliflower and lettuce plants are kept through
the winter to be planted out in early spring. In winter, endive and
late cauliflower plants are preserved for use. In spring, strawberry
plants placed in them yield an abundant crop in May, after which
tomatoes are planted for summer use. Melons and cucumbers are
also produced in abundance in them in summer. Delicate plants are
housed in them during the winter, and protected by them in the
spring and autumn ; and large specimens of geraniums and fuchsias
attain the highest perfection of growth during the summer.
My surface of cold frames extends to no less than 1,600 superficial
feet of glass ; and we have besides three or four two-light boxes
(fig. 81), eight feet by six, useful for hot-beds, — or, when turned to
the north or east, valuable for the protection of seedling ferns, which
require to be shaded from scorching suns and blasting winds.
During the present season I have experimented on a frame of four
lights with a tank underneath for hot water ; and another frame heated
with a single pipe, the heating apparatus of which will require minute
and specific description.
Another glass structure exists at my garden, which is really
nothing more than a large frame, so constructed that the gardener can
get in and walk along. We call it the POOR MAN'S HOUSE (fig. 82),
because it is erected so cheaply and answers so efficiently. To con-
struct a Poor Man's House, a hole is sunk in the ground 2j feet wide
and 2\ feet deep, and the earth so removed is placed at the back
of the house. If the water-level of the ground permitted, and drainage
could be procured, the whole interior of the house might be lowered
FRAMES AND GLASS-HOUSES.
69
two feet more; by which device the house would be well sunk in the
ground. A single glass roof is fastened over the sunk part, and
ventilation is provided by a board hung upon a hinge at the back
FIG. 82.— Poor Man's House.
My Poor Man's House is forty-eight feet long, and the width of
the glass roof is ten feet, the door being at one end (fig. 83). Perhaps
in future structures, where there is plenty of earth for the back, it would
be desirable to increase the width to twelve feet. Vines are planted
which yield abundance of the highest-flavoured grapes, lasting from
FIG. 83.— End of Poor Man's House.
July, till November, when the vines are cut, and the house is filled
with geraniums, azaleas, and camellias: these give lovely flowers till
advancing spring produces plenty of flowers in the open air.
The house is lighted exclusively from the roof, and thus a
rnaximum of light is secured with a minimum of cooling surface.
From the earthen walls, the air is always kept in a proper hygrometric
MY GARDEN.
condition, and as a result of the whole arrangement healthy vegeta-
tion is secured with the least possible amount of artificial heat. My
house has only two 3-inch hot-water pipes, and many plants may be
grown in it without any heat No one who loves plants and likes to
see them grow should be without a Poor Man's House ; for there is
no method in which so much pleasure may be obtained with so
small an outlay.
Passing from the Poor Manrs House, which everybody should have,
we have to examine my Orchard-house : this is simply a luxury,
and may be more easily dispensed with. My orchard-house (fig. 84)
is literally a glass shed, in which fruit-trees and plants are grown
FIG. 84. — Orchard House.
between March and November. It is about eighty feet long and
fifteen feet wide, and arranged due north and south, so that the sun
shines through the east side of the house in the morning before
twelve, and through the west side in the afternoon. My orchard-
house is not placed in a sufficiently open situation, as there are
trees within 150 feet of it, which shade it from the rays of the
sun in the early morning. It is desirable so to place an orchard-
house that it may catch the first rays of the rising sun, and the last
of the setting, so as to perfect the flavour of the fruit.
My orchard-house is ventilated by boards on hinges, passing from
one end of the house to the other below the glass. There are ventila-
tors also at the top ; but if I constructed a house regardless of ex-
pense, I would completely throw back the glass in summer, and only
close it in cold nights or in stormy days.
FRAMES AND GLASS-HOUSES. 1\
The orchard-house is no protection against frost in winter, as it
freezes as sharply in the house as it does out of doors ; and it is to
be particularly observed that, as the trees do not get a covering of
snow, the roots in pots of only half-an-inch in thickness, are liable to
be more injured than if the trees were planted in the open ground.
An orchard-house should be constructed so strongly as to resist
great gales ; otherwise the uprights and roof might be arranged much
in the same way as a barn. My form is convenient, but perhaps
would be better if each portion of glass were a little longer, — say eight
feet instead of seven.
The orchard-house is essentially the device of Rivers, who deserves
the thanks of pomologists not only for its invention, but also for the
zeal with which he has enforced its use. Various plans are adopted
for its design. Rivers uses a simple double span with wooden sides,
and certainly this is best adapted for his own use, where numerous
trees are grown for sale. I rather incline to the common design of
a country shed with glass roof, as thus it is made of great strength.
My own house is a span glass roof supported on pillars, with glass
sides shelving from it. The glass of the span is seven feet long,
and each side is seven feet, so that there are twenty-eight feet of
glass from side to side. The doorway is 6 ft. 6 in. high. Perhaps
thirty-two feet of glass would make a more perfect house on this
plan. Ventilation is secured by opening the door, by opening win-
dows over the door, by opening a board upon a hinge extending under
the glass through the whole length of the building on either side, and
by opening one or two panes of glass along the roof.
At the end of the orchard-house there is a glass span-roofed shed,
which is used from early spring till autumn for flowering plants and
ferns; and no structure can answer better, or show more beautiful
flowers, than this house during that period. Here lilies, fuchsias,
geraniums, azaleas, and similar flowers flourish. There is no heating
apparatus attached to the orchard-house, as these large glass sheds
would be most expensive to warm. I have been able to keep out
frost, ho\vcver, from the glass shed at the end of the orchard-house,
72 MY GARDEN.
by the use of paraffin lights placed under a zinc trough filled with
water. This plan can only be commended to keep out frost if the
glass be covered at the same time with mats.
The orchard-house is a luxury where there are no walls. It has
never failed to give me a fair crop of fruit but once, — in 1869, when I
had but small produce. In that year orchard-houses failed throughout
England : but two trees, out of doors, gave me as large a proportionate
crop as the orchard-house. Orchard-houses have the drawback of
requiring much labour in watering and syringing the trees, and
judgment in the extent to which ventilation and water should be
administered to secure the due flavour of the fruit. Where there are
walls, more fruit can be secured for the same labour ; and the flavour
of the fruit and its capability of carriage are, on the average, better
secured on outside walls than in the interior of the orchard-house.
There is a glass-house in the Horticultural Society's grounds, where a
railroad is laid from the house to the open air ; the side of the house
is contrived so as to open, and the orchard-house trees are supported on
a railroad truck, so that the whole can be wheeled into the open air
or back into the house in a few minutes.
Passing from the cold houses or glass sheds, my Fernery (fig. 85)
next demands description. It is about 80 feet long, and has about sixty
FIG. 85. — Fernery.
rafters. The glass faces the north, and the whole house being well
sunk in the ground, has very much the appearance of a long frame.
The door (fig. 86) is at the back of the house, on its southern aspect,
so that the northern side presents an uninterrupted surface of glass,
through which the light of heaven from a clear northern sky penetrates.
FRAMES AND GLASS-HOUSES.
73
The southern side is chiefly made of boards, covered with tarred as-
phalted felt, which is a bad conductor
of heat and a great protection against
frost. In conformity with more ex-
tended experience of the value of light
to ferns, I have placed some glass on
the southern side ; but trees have been
planted in front, so that in summer the
leaves keep off the rays of the burn-
ing sun. In winter, however, when the
FIG. 86. — Door of Fernery.
leaves have dropped, abundance of light penetrates into the house
through their naked branches, to the great benefit of the plants.
A stream of water runs through the fernery, which is dilated, at
one place, into a pond, and though the house is a mere roofing of glass
supported on posts, it is universally admired as a very beautiful place :
Mr. Robertson has very faithfully rendered it in his drawing (plate 19).
The view of it is taken facing the west — the instant the house is entered ;
and the little bird in it is one of the poor frozen birds caught during
the snow and ice of winter, which luxuriated and cleared the house
of insects, but which flew away to its native haunts as soon as it could
find a hole through which it could escape.
In this house I desired to grow ferns from all parts of the world, that
they may be seen at a glance ; and thus I required a house varying in
temperature from the tropical to the temperate climates. It requires
much thought to obtain this result in any given house, especially where
currents of air and draughts are objectionable. The result has been
perfectly obtained on the first design, by raising the floor at the warmer
end, by placing more rows of hot-water pipes in the part of the house
between the door and the end desired to be warmer, and by preventing
the currents of hot air traversing the length of the roof by the inter-
position of screens of climbing plants. The transition in winter from
this lovely scene of ferns and flowers to the equally lovely scene outside
of frost and snow is enchanting. Plate 19 shows the beauty inside;
the tailpiece of this book shows the aspect of the country and view
74
MY GARDEN.
which is presented the moment the threshold is crossed. To obtain
these effects they must be designed ; and with me it is difficult to decide
which is the more enjoyable, to contrive the picture or to contemplate
it when made.
For the construction of the roof of the fernery, a deal plank was split
into three parts, each of which constituted a rafter, and on the edge a por-
tion was cut away to receive the glass. The rafters were not even planed,
but had before glazing three coats of anti-corrosion paint. I place great
importance on this thorough painting before glazing, as it is a material
aid to the adhesion of the putty. After glazing, two more coats of
paint were used, as it is inconvenient to repaint a house full of plants.
The Fernery and Poor Man's House are placed near together, and
heated with one saddle-boiler, and a third very small house is added
for propagating plants. This is warmed by a large iron tank placed
by a flow and return pipe in connection with the boiler. By this plan
the hot-water system is supplied with a large quantity of water, and
thus the gardener has abundance of warm water at hand by which he
can water his plants without chilling them. The cistern must be filled
up once or twice a week, according to the demands made upon it.
We have at another part of the garden a second group of houses,
one a late vinery divided into two parts. In one portion the glass is
arranged in two pitches, as though it
were one-half the orchard - house
placed against a wall (fig. 87). The
second half of this vinery has a simple
glass roof, like that of the fernery, but
this has a south-west aspect instead
of a north-west. Ventilation in the
two-pitched house is obtained by a
FIG. 87.— vinery. board in front, and by two moveable
frames of glass at top. In the flat-roofed house ventilation is obtained
by openings in the back wall, about a foot below the glass. In
these houses we keep grapes till February. In this group of houses
we have a small cucumber-house, with a glass roof supported by
FRAMES AND GLASS-HOUSES. 75
walls, the aspect being due south, to catch every ray of sun in winter ;
and in front of this we have a frame in which we grow a few nice pines
every year, which add to the variety of our produce.
All my structures are of the simplest construction possible, and I
can most strongly recommend for all practical garden purposes glass-
roofed, shed-like structures. For the same cost they can be made much
larger, and can have their air more readily changed than any other;
they also require less combustion to maintain a similar amount of heat
when sunk in the ground, and can be more readily altered in form
when desired.
When glass-houses are attached to dwelling-houses, or are appen-
dages of drawing-rooms, they must of necessity be architecturally con-
structed. In such houses the growth of the plants is of necessity
secondary to the general design of the house. In fact, for these houses
the majority of plants ought to be grown elsewhere, and placed in the
house when in their prime.
Besides our large glass-houses, Ward has taught us how to construct
miniature houses for delicate plants, and for the carriage of plants from
the distant parts of the world. A Ward's case is essentially a glass
covering placed over a vessel containing suitable soil. At my garden
a single glass is placed over the lovely Tunbridge fern. In my drawing-
room Todcea superba grows in a Wedgwood pan covered with a glass
shade. In my dining-room I have two cases which were made after
the pattern of Mr, Ward's in Wellclose Square, nearly thirty years ago.
To grow plants successfully in a Ward's case, we must have regard
to the quality of soil, the heat, the light, and the moisture of enclosed
air. The door should be opened occasionally for a short time, water
should be given with care, the powerful rays of the sun should be
avoided. Anyone who studies' the philosophy of horticulture cannot
fail to succeed with a Ward's case, for all plants delighting in a moist
atmosphere.
Of late years glass frames, called curates' vineries, have been
cm ployed, but they are incomparably inferior to the Poor Man's
House. Square earthen vessels (fig. 88) have been made by Looker,
76 MY GARDEN.
which are useful to imbed entirely in the earth, as the warmth of
the earth protects delicate plants. The larger structures with loose
pieces of glass for vineries are, however, of questionable utility, and
^ << FIG. 90.
FIG. 89. FIG. 91.
cannot be commended. For protection of plants in early spring the
French use cloches, or glass bells (fig. 89). In England a square iron-
framed glass is much employed (fig. 90), and in the West of England
an octangular structure of glazed zinc bars (fig. 91) is much employed
by market-gardeners, and has been found useful at my garden.
Any gardener who has all the variety of frames and glass-houses
which we employ has only to use them with horticultural skill to
obtain satisfactory results.
VENTILATION OF GLASS-HOUSES.
The philosophy of ventilation, or change of air, in glass-houses is
fully considered in my garden, as the health of the plants in great
measure depends upon it. Firstly we rely upon the property of
diffusion, a power whereby one gas in contact with a second diffuses
itself rapidly throughout the second. An example of this may be seen in
a soda-water bottle, which is full of carbonic acid. This gas, although
much heavier than the air, diffuses itself through the air in a few hours
against gravitation. In a greenhouse the intervals between the pieces
of glass and little holes in our woodwork play an important part in
enabling the foul air of the glass-house to escape.
Besides the property of diffusion, we take advantage of the difference
of density of hot and cold air. Hot air is light, cold air is heavy ;
hence by admitting cold air at the bottom of the house and warming it,
it becomes light, rises to the top, and escapes by any aperture. This
VENTILATION OF GLASS-HOUSES.
77
is easy in theory but difficult in practice, as plants and all organic beings
when at rest can very ill bear the air in motion.
Whenever any portion of the air of a glass-house is cooled, it
becomes heavy, and falls ; whenever it is heated, it becomes light, and
rises. In a cold night the pipes are at 1 00° Fahr., the glass down to
10° : consequently the air which touches the pipes expands, becomes
lighter, and rises rapidly ; the air which touches the glass cools,
becomes denser, and falls to the bottom of the house. In any large
greenhouse the descent of the chilled air in a cold night is apparent
to the senses.
From the weight of the cold air, it is advisable that, as a general
principle, a considerable part of the heat should be applied as low as
possible. In a long house with excess of heat at one end the hot
air rises and travels along the roof; whilst the cold air falls and
returns by the floor to the source of heat, where it again ascends.
In making arrangements for the heating of any specified house,
the engineer should well consider all cooling surfaces, for he may be
sure that the cold air from all such situations will fall to the floors
as certainly as bullets would, if dropped from a similar position.
In my Cucumber-house (fig. 92) and Melon-pit, I let air into the
house in contact with the hot metal and warm water. This in effect
puts a pressure upon the air of the house,
and the vitiated air escapes through every
little crevice in the glass : this is a very
safe system in cold weather.
In all ventilating and heating arrange-
ments, it is essential that the air should
preserve its moisture, and my evaporators
are useful to determine this point. When FlG- 92-— Cucumber House,
we warm the air it becomes too drying, and we must add water ;
and we do this at my garden by using open heated tanks of water,
and by employing iron troughs arranged at the top of the pipes.
On a cold night, the air when heated by the pipes rises to the
glass. It deposits its aqueous vapour on the glass, and becomes drier.
78 MY GARDEN.
It then falls and becomes heated again, and the process is repeated
till the air becomes so dried as to be hurtful, and thousands of plants
are annually destroyed. This we avoid at my garden by continually
supplying to the air an amount of moisture judiciously adapted to
the peculiarity of the plants.
WARMING OF GI, ASS- HO USES.
The simplest mode of obtaining artificial heat is by the use of
hot dung. The fresh dung from our stable is moistened with water and
turned over several times, for the sulphur and other coarser products
to be exhaled. Whenever leaves can be procured and mixed with
the dung, they moderate the heat and cause it to last for a much
longer period, and hence we use this mixture for our early potatoes.
When the frame is made up the first fiery blast is allowed to pass off,
and the gardener ascertains the proper time to plant by inserting a
stick into the materials of his hot-bed. The heat after a time abates,
when he uses a lining round the frame to maintain in early spring
the necessary temperature. Sometimes fermenting materials are used
in houses for forcing grapes in early spring, but I have never myself
so applied them.
Spent tan is employed, especially for the growth of pines. It
is particularly liable to facilitate the growth of the tan fungus, and,
therefore, we only employ it in our little pine-pit.
In all systems of warming by the combustion of coal, coke, wood,
oil, or naphtha, the heat developed bears a relation to the amount of
the matter consumed.; hence all that an engineer can effect is to
regulate the application of the heat when generated. He cannot in
effect generate heat without a corresponding change of matter.
From the time of the Romans rooms have been heated with flues,
and within a few hundred yards of rny garden they were employed nearly
two thousand years ago. By this plan the direct heat of a stove is
carried round the house in brick flues. This plan I have not used, as
modern science has taught us that it is better to have our fireplace for
II' 'ARMING OF GLASS-HOUSES.
79
the generation of the heat and to pass the heat to hot water, by which
it may be carried to any place and in any direction we please.
In all systems for the circulation of warm water a boiler is
necessary. The principle upon which this should be constructed is
to afford so large a surface of metal to the fire that all the heat
generated should be transferred to the water. It is also desirable
that the capacity of the fireplace should be so large as to hold
enough fire for twelve hours' consumption. All horticultural boilers
should be of the simplest construction. For moderate heating power
a simple circular boiler has answered very well with us. Where a
larger boiler is required, we have found the saddle-boiler (fig. 93)
FIG. g3.
FIG. 94.
FIG. 95.
unexceptionable ; and had I a large range of buildings to warm, I
should certainly have recourse to the Cornish boiler in preference to
any other. There are innumerable forms of tubular boilers, and
amongst them some complex boilers which some of the first horticul-
turists condemn, and which certainly I should never myself use where
a choice existed.
In all cases the water enters the bottom of the boiler by a pipe.
The water becomes heated, expands, rises to the top, and flows by
a second pipe from the top of the boiler (fig. 94). At my garden the
heated water is used in two methods, — by one causing it to flow in hot-
water pipes in the ordinary way, and by the second (fig. 9$) connecting
8o MY GARDEN.
the pipes with a cistern of water. The warm water rises immediately
to the top of the cistern and the cold water passes to the stove. This
latter method, I believe, originated in my garden, and for the growth
of orchids and pine-apples should exclude other plans.
Two boilers are at work with me, one a saddle boiler heating the
fernery with three hundred feet of 4-inch pipes, the cutting-house with a
tank holding about two hundred gallons of water, and the Poor Man's
House with about a hundred feet of 3-inch pipes. The second boiler
heats the cucumber-house with a tank holding about two hundred
gallons, and the grapery is heated with about two hundred feet of
three 4-inch pipes* and a small pine-pit with about forty feet of
4-inch pipes.
During last summer a portable boiler has been employed to heat
a tank for a melon-pit (fig. 96), where the mould (M) is placed on
FIG. 96.— Tank Pit.
boards (B) over the tank (T), and a current of air is allowed to play
over the water into a chamber, from whence it rises to warm the
upper part of the pit covered with the light (L).
In the arrangement of pipes it is usual for the water to flow along
the top pipe and return by a lower pipe, as represented at fig. 94.
It has been proposed, however, to make the water flow by the lower
pipe, then through the higher, and rapidly descend to the bottom of
the boiler (fig. 97). This plan has been recorded as in use at Deptford,
and assuredly would be adopted by me, but that it is difficult to sink
the fireplaces sufficiently low at my garden.
At my pine-pit it is necessary to cause the water to circulate
below the level of the boiler. This is effected by causing the water
to flow into an open pipe, and then turn .down to the desired level
WARMING OF GLASS-HOUSES.
Si
(fig. 98). This plan should never be used unless it is imperatively
necessary, for the rule to be observed in arranging all hot-water pipes
FIG. 97.
is for the water continually to rise till it has done its work, and then
to fall to the stove to be re-warmed.
At the highest part of the pipes a small cistern is generally
placed. At my garden, in all my systems of warming I have
cisterns holding hundreds of gallons of water, so that the gardener
has always the command of warm water to water his plants.
Hitherto hot-water systems have always been arranged by a flow
and a return pipe ; however, I conceived the idea of using a single
pipe arranged with a gradual rise. I have a frame heated with a
single pipe ; the hot water flows along the top of the pipe and returns
along its lower surface, thus having two currents in an opposite
direction traversing the pipe at the same time (fig. 99). The
FIG. 99.
circulation proves excellent and rapid, and answers most efficiently,
I can strongly recommend its adoption in every case where a single
pipe is competent to communicate sufficient heat.
In warming any house, it is desirable to have an excess rather
than a deficiency of heating surface, and the pipes should be placed
in those situations where the cold air can be immediately brought in
r,
MY GARDEN.
contact with them. In my fern-house the distribution of heat is very
peculiar ; a great increase of heating surface is placed in one end of
the house : otherwise, as a general rule, the pipes are placed in the
front of the lean-to houses, but in very large houses they require to
be distributed in several positions.
Our appliances for warming far exceed those in use at the time
when Evelyn wrote, who says: "If the season prove exceeding
piercing, which you may know by the freezing of a moistened cloth
set in your greenhouse, kindle some charcoal."
During the past year, as a matter of experiment, paraffin oil
lamps have been employed to give warmth to keep out the frost. The
^ A plan can be made to answer, but whenever this mode is adopted
it is desirable to place them under a zinc trough rilled with
water, that moisture may be supplied to the air.
I have always feared an accident on a cold night, when I
might lose all my plants ; I therefore applied to Messrs. Field
of Lambeth to make me a number of large candles with two
wicks (fig. 100), to keep for any emergency. It is possible
that they may not be wanted for years, nevertheless no one
ought to be without some means of keeping out frost, should
FIG. ioo. any sudden failure of his hot-water apparatus occur. Messrs.
Field have also sent me some large fiat night-lights, designed to
last for twelve hours, and I do not doubt but that one or two are
sufficient to keep the frost from a two- 'or three-light frame during
the coldest night.
The Spectator observes that a kitchen garden is a more pleasant
sight than the finest orangery or artificial greenhouse ; but this does
not accord with the ideas of the poet, who writes that
" Who loves a garden, loves a greenhouse too.
Unconscious of a less propitious clime,
There blooms exotic beauty, warm and snug,
While the winds whistle, and the snows descend."
Cow PER.
CHAPTER VII.
77//-; PROPAGATION OF /'/.,/. V/'.V.
" Then let the learned gard'ner mark with care
The kinds of stock, and what those kinds will bear ;
Explore the nature of each sev'ral tree.
And, known, improve with artful industry." — DRYDEN, Gcorgics.
WE propagate plants by all the well-known methods usually
practised. Many plants are exclusively raised from seed
(fig. 101), such as the majority of our vegetals. To secure proper
germination we take care that the seeds (fig. 102) are exposed to
FIG. i
1. Kschscholtzia californica.
2. Corn biue-bottle (Centau-
rea cyanus).
3. Oxalis rosea.
4. Papaver somniferum
(opium poppy).
5. Stellaria media.
6. Sweet William (Dian-
thus barbatus .
7. Foxglove (Digitalis
purpurea).
8. Saponaria calabrica.
FIG. 102. — Seeds germinating.
warmth, moisture, and air, as without these three conditions combined
seeds will not germinate, and either cold, dryness, or exclusion of
oxygen will surely stop their growth.
After the seed has sprouted light is necessary, and care is required,
especially with melon and cucumber plants, as soon as they have
G 2
84
MY GARDEN.
sprouted, to place the young plants close to the glass, that they may
have the full effect of light. Every seedling is an individual, having
certain characteristics, deviating in some degree, and within certain
limits, from a fixity of type. By selecting seedlings having particular
characters, and again by continually selecting from their progeny, the
gardener obtains those deviations from the original type which are
known by the name of florists' flowers, — or gardeners' fruits.
A question has arisen whether selection alone is sufficient to pro-
cure new plants, or whether it is desirable to cross the seed of one
plant with the pollen of others. Mr. Rivers tries the latter plan
to improve our peaches and pears, and he crosses a plant having one
good property with the pollen of another having other desirable
qualities. On the other hand, I am assured by raisers of florists'
flowers that it is generally better to rely upon sowing simply the seed
of good sorts and upon selecting from their produce. In the present
state of our knowledge we had better try both methods, when wre
desire to raise new varieties. Many of the best varieties of fruits
are certainly natural sports.
Sometimes selected plants of high quality are again propagated
by seed, such as our choice varieties of peas and beans. More often,
however, we have to multiply the original plant : to such an extent
Fro.
. — Sucker.
FIG. 104. — Layer.
can this be done, that the delicious Jargonelle pear is supposed
to have been raised by the Romans, and handed down to us by a
continuous propagation.
Various methods are practised at my garden for the multiplication
THE PROPAGATION OF PLANTS.
of the parent plant, so that its properties are retained with its indi-
vidual peculiarities, defects, or excellences. First of all, we propagate
by suckers, as many trees — such as the elm, plum, and quince — throw
up other trees from their roots. It is only necessary to sever one
of these little trees (fig. 103, A) from its parent, to obtain another
of the same variety. Where suckers do not spontaneously arise, a
branch is layered in the earth and securely pegged down. This
after a time roots, and, when severed from the parent, forms a
duplicate tree of the same kind. We favour the production of roots
by partially cutting across the bough where it is laid in the earth
(fig. 104). There is a process much like layering, which is frequently
used on the Continent, and which is sometimes used by ourselves, called
circumvallation (fig. 105). A shoot of a living tree is placed through
FIG. 105. — Circumvallation.
a pot which is filled with earth or cocoa-nut fibre : this is kept
continually moist till a mass of roots is formed, which causes the branch
to become a second tree. I generally place a piece of wire tightly
round the branch below the insertion into the pot, and gradually cut
away the stem, both of which operations appear to me to facilitate
the production of roots.
Lately I have been trying other methods of circumvallation. A
piece of gutta - percha tubing about 8 inches long was slit down
and made to cover a branch ; the slit was then closed with a
warm iron, and the bottom closed in the same way. The inside was
filled with cocoa-nut refuse and kept clamp, when in a short time
86
MY GARDEN.
abundance of roots were produced. I am now wrapping a piece of
the waste edge of flannel round active shoots, and then encircling the
whole with a piece of sheet india-rubber, leaving the upper part open
to be watered every day. In both of the above cases I have strangulated
the shoot, below the part operated on, with a tight copper wire, to
stop the descending sap. But further experience is required before
the latter processes can be recommended.
Sometimes we can obtain a plant from a root. The roots of the
root- work in my ferneries occasionally grow (fig. 106). Although this
is not a usual mode of multiplication, yet it may be at times
employed. The roots of a fig-tree often sprout.
FIG. 107. — Propagation by leaves.
FIG. 108. — Cuttings (Pink and Geranium).
We frequently propagate by leaves (fig. 107). The Hoy a carnosa
may be propagated from a leaf. A leaf of a Gloxinia, if pegged on
the ground, would form many buds and give rise to as many plants, and
every plant would be identical in character with that of the parent
plant. Leaves of Echeveria placed in a pot of sand would also grow.
We multiply many plants by cuttings, such as pinks, geraniums,
tea-roses, poplar-trees, and cucumber plants. We cut them at a joint
(fig. 1 08), or slip a shoot off the parent stem, as at such a point there
appear to be many dormant buds capable of becoming roots. The
cuttings are then inserted into a pot of sand, or, what is better, into
cocoa-nut refuse. In this material, kept moist and aided by gentle
warmth, a geranium cutting will make a good plant in two weeks.
Cuttings of poplars or laurels are inserted three or four inches in the
THE PROPAGATION OF PLANTS.
ground, and take longer time to root. Grape vines are generally
propagated by eyes (fig. 109). A plump bud is se-
lected with a piece of stem on each side. The eyes
start, and make a strong vine. It is necessary to have a
piece of the wood attached to the bud to ensure growth,
as I tried a vast number of buds without wood, of various trees, but not
one grew. We always shade cuttings from the direct heat of the sun's
rays, and ensure that the air is saturated with moisture by covering
them with glass. As roots are formed we gradually admit more air and
FIG. 1 10. —Division of roots (Primrose). FIG. m.— Runner (Strawberry).
more light. Loddiges recommended that the end of the shoot should
be dipped in collodion ; but I have found no advantage from the process-
We multiply some plants, as the polyanthus, phlox, and chrysan-
themum, by division (fig. 110), and others, as the strawberry, by runners
FIG. 113. — Potato.
FIG. 112. — By bulbs (Amaryllis).
(fig. ill). Some plants are multiplied by bulbs, as the hyacinth,
amaryllis (fig. 112), shallot, garlic; and. others by dividing the tuber,
as the potato (fig. 113) and yam.
All the above cases are multiplications of an individual plant
ss
GARDEN.
with all its peculiarities. The multiplied hyacinth is white, blue, red,
single or double, as was its parent ; and the leaf, stem, root, flower
and fruit partake precisely of the same character as the original
plant produced from seed, which thus may probably be propagated
ad infinitnm. Of late years it has been thought, by some good
gardeners, that the parent plant becomes old and that it wears out ;
they cite the Ribston and Golden Pippins as an exemplification of
their theory. This is not my opinion ; and as, in ail probability,
the Jargonelle has been propagated from the time of the Romans in
the past, so may it be continued till that indefinite time when the
New Zealander in the future may be supposed to swallow up the
English as the Americans now do the Indians.
Some plants — as certain ferns, viz. many
aspleniums (fig. 114), the Cystoptcris bulbifera,
the Woodwardia radicans — produce little bulbs
or plants on their fronds, from which we
readily propagate new plants.
Besides the above mode of reproducing the
individual plant in its entirety, we have other
methods of partially propagating a plant ;
that is to say, we may multiply the stems, the flower, and the fruit of
a plant whilst we have roots of a totally different species. We may
propagate the Jargonelle pear on the root of a common pear, or even
on the root of a hawthorn or quince. This process is in fact the same as
if a piece of skin of a black man were implanted in the body of a white
man — which is quite possible. This mode of proceeding
is almost invariably followed in propagating the individuality
of fruits, and as an example the large majority of my pears
have the roots t of the quince. The manner in which we
effect this mode of propagating is threefold, — by grafting,
by inarching, [and by budding. There is one secret in all
these processes : this is, that the cambium of the graft or
bud must come in contact with the cambium (or new layer
of forming wood under the bark of the tree) to be worked. It is of
FlG. 114. — Young Ferns growing
from fronds.
THE PROPAGATION OF PLA.\TS.
89
K"
no avail if contact is made in any other way, as union only occurs when
the two layers of new wood or cambium come in absolute contact
Grafting (fig. 115) is almost invariably practised in the propa-
gation of fruit-trees. In this case a shoot is cut from a tree
desired to be multiplied before the leaves appear, and a slanting cut
is made with a sharp knife. The tree to be grafted has a similar
cut made in the reverse direction. The two cut sur-
faces are then brought directly together, so that
both of the newly forming woody fibres come in con-
tact, when they are retained in their position by a
strip of bast mat. In England we then encircle the
graft with a lump of clay (fig. 116). On the Continent
grafting wax composed of rosin, pitch, and tallow is
employed : occasionally the graft is protected by a strip
of sheet india-rubber, which may eventually supersede
the other methods. When we have a tree, the fruit of
which is worthless, we put in two or three dozen grafts
at once, and, in the space of two or three years, it
becomes a bearing tree, giving a totally different
produce (fig. 116). Practically every fruit-tree bought
FIG. 116. — Tree covered
with grafts.
FIG. 117 (i.
Saddle graft.
FIG. .
Cleft graft.
". ' // IN
FIG. 118. — Inarching.
at a nursery has been grafted, so that the root and stem below the
graft produces a different fruit from the head; and care must be
taken that no shoot be allowed to grow below the graft, or we shall
get fruit that we do not desire.
There are other methods of grafting which we do not often employ,
90 MY GARDEN.
as they are only variations of mode and not of kind, such as saddle
grafting (fig. 117^), where the graft is made to stride the stock; and
cleft grafting (fig. 117 b\ where the graft is cut to a wedge, and let into
a triangular hole cut in the stock. Occasionally we inarch trees.
For this operation two trees are brought together. The stock has
a slice cut off with a sharp knife, the other tree has a similar slice
cut from a branch, when the two surfaces are brought into exact
contact, care being taken that the two deposits of forming wood, or
cambium, are brought accurately together (fig. 118).
There is still another plan that may be employed for many trees —
as for pear-trees anda rose-trees — and that is, a simple bud of one tree
desired to be propagated is inserted into a second. In this case it is
equally essential, as with grafting, that the two new layers of wood
should be in exact contact. Budding we perform after
Midsummer, as soon as the buds are perfected, and are full
and plump, and when the bark separates easily from the stem.
The stock has a T-shaped cut (fig. 119), made with a bud-
ding knife (fig. 61) ; into this the bud is inserted by turning
back the bark in the angles of the T. The bud is kept in
its position by a piece of bast, when a union speedily takes
FBu'ddmgT P^ce, and the bud grows. The other parts of the tree are cut
away, and we obtain a tree having the roots and stem of the parent
plant, but with a head of the new variety we desire to propagate.
Mr. Murray pointed out in an interesting paper read before the
Horticultural Society, that whenever a graft is made, or a bud is inserted
into a tree, the two cambiums alone unite ; and that
though the cut surface of the woody fibre is after-
wards completely covered over by new wood, there is
always a dead portion remaining in the interior of
the tree, which never can be got rid of, but which
always remains as a permanent defect (fig. 120). I
have examined how the cells of one kind of tree, as the
FIG. 120.— chiswick,i size. pear? are joined to those of another, as the quince.
A thin section under the microscope exhibits an exact conjunction of
THE PROPAGATION OF PLANTS.
different cells, and this is never better shown than in the case of the
mistletoe and apple, as the former lives on
the latter as though it were grafted, and forms
one continuous piece of wood (fig. 121).
We not only obtain the continuation of
any particular plant by grafting, but in certain S5SC
cases we influence its fertility. A pear grafted FlG' I2I-"~Mistlotoe andAPPlecells-
on a quince becomes fruitful years before it would on its own stock.
An apple worked on Paradise stock has the fertility much improved in
the young state. Rivers has sought to improve the fertility of the
cherry-tree by working it on the mahebeb, and that of the filbert by
working it on the Corylus arbor escens.
We propagate our cryptogamic plants in three or four ways. First
by spores which produce varieties within certain limits, like the
higher plants, as is the case with the spores of the mushroom, which
Dr. Smith for the first time has figured in the act of germinating
(fig. 122). Any definite variety of fungus may be propagated by the
FIG. 122.— Mushroom spores germinating.
FIG. i
mycelium, whereby we secure perpetuation of the individuality of the
original (fig. 123). In the case of ferns we constantly secure the
multiplication by simple division. In the propagation of plants the
seasons should be regarded, and as a rule the period of commencing
growth is best adapted for the propagation of plants.
" Nee tibi tarn prudens quisquam persuadeat auctor,
Tellurem Borea rigorem spirante moveri.
Rura gelu turn claudit hiems ; nee semine jacto
Concretam patitur radicem affigere terrae." — VIRGIL, Georg. ii.
CHAPTER VIII
GARDEN VEGETALS.
" Mala copia quando
.-Egrum solicitat stomachum ; cum rapula plenus
Atque acidas mavult inultas." — HORACE, Satira ii.
WITHOUT fresh vegetals the human body cannot be preserved
in health ; and in long sea-voyages, for the want of lime-
juice, lemon-juice, or fresh vegetals, scurvy was formerly more terrible
than battle : as many sailors perished then from disease from want of
fresh vegetals, as are now7 lost by sending rotten vessels to sea to
obtain the money for which they are insured.
SAT, AD PLANTS.
A salad of some kind should be grown for every day in the year,
and this requires attention and care, as the summer's fiery blast or
the wintry chills may destroy the hopes of the gardener.
Of all salading plants the Water-cress (Nasturtium officinale] is
the most valuable. It is in use all the year round ; it can be eaten
with every meal, its flavour- is unexceptionable, its digestibility satis-
factory, it is warm and grateful to the stomach, and there are very
few persons to whom it is distasteful. It requires, howrever, special
care for its successful culture. It prefers the solid gravel bottom of
a stream, with pure spring water from the depths of the earth to run
over it. It may be planted at any time of the year by taking a
SALAD PLANTS.
93
handful of the plants and retaining them under water by a large
stone ; the plant then speedily roots and spreads uniformly. About
four to six inches of water suffices. Water-cresses like full exposure
to light, and dislike the shade of trees.
Whilst growing, water-cress should be continually freed from other
weeds, and duck-weed should be removed by a birch broom. When
it runs to seed, it should be cut down. In the dark cold weather of
November and December the plant is reduced to its smallest pro-
portions.
Frost injures the plant ; nevertheless by moderate care water-
cresses may be procured for every day in the year. In severe frosts
my gardener very judiciously covers the plant with water, and so
protects it.
We note two varieties of water-cress, the green and the brown
(fig. 124): the latter is preferred in the market, though I prefer the
former, as being more delicate and hardier. By careful selection I
once had a very brown stock ; but if the green variety is not care-
FIG. 124. — Two forms of Watercress.
FIG. 125. FIG. 126.
Salads— Mustard and Rape.
fully destroyed, it speedily takes the place of the brown entirely.
Water-cresses should be thoroughly cleansed before they are eaten,
and should never be used where the stream has any sewage con-
tamination. Water-cresses can be grown, although unsatisfactorily,
in a moist place without water.
Germinating Mustard (Sinapis alba, fig. 125) can be procured all
the year round by sowing the seed on a piece of wet flannel or on
moistened earth. It is used whilst only the seed-leaves exist, and is a
MY GARDEN.
warm condiment and a useful salading. For market purposes germi-
nating Rape-seed (Brassica Napus, var. oleifera) is used (fig. 126) in the
same way, but it is so inferior to mustard that in private gardens it
should never be employed. Rape-seed is, however, cheaper than
mustard-seed, and hence it is employed for the market.
The Australian cress is a fine salad. It is used when the plant
has five or six perfect leaves (fig. 127). It is particularly fine in early
FIG. 127. —Australian Cress. FIG. 128.— Curled Cress.
spring, when grown in an orchard-house. It is strongly to be com-
mended, and it is not nearly so frequently grown as it ought to be.
The Curled Cress (Lepidum sativum, fig. 128) is also used for salad,
and is likewise good in early spring, especially when grown in the
orchard-house. We always grow a reasonable proportion. Where
water-cresses cannot be obtained, the American Cress (Barbarea prcecox]
may be grown ; otherwise it may be dispensed with altogether, as an
inferior salad plant.
The Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is a highly important salad plant.
There are two general forms, the Cos and the Cabbage, with numerous
varieties, one merging into the other. For the early crop in spring
the Hammersmith Cabbage and Bath Cos are to be preferred. They
are sown from the middle to the end of August, and the" young plants
are subsequently transplanted to a protected place, where they can
get all the light of the winter's sun, and they are fit to cut in April
and beginning of May. These, however, are hardly so good as the
Paris Cos (fig. 129), which succeeds them, and which in my opinion is
SALAD PLANTS.
95
the finest of all the lettuces. The seed of this variety is sown in
November in a cold frame. When it has germinated, the lights are
taken off every fine day. At the end of February a portion is
planted out, and if severe frost kills them another portion takes their
place.
It is so important to have good seed that we always save our
own seed. I begged a little from a market-gardener many years ago,
FIG. 129.— Selected Paris Cos Lettuce.
FIG. 130.— Neapolitan Cabbage Lettuce, \ size.
who had begged it of another many years previously, and the finest
lettuces have always been allowed to run to seed: ever since, in this
way we have secured a fine stock. For successive crops seed is sown
again in January and February in the orchard-house, and these
sowings are followed up by others, so that we obtain lettuces nearly
till Christmas.
In summer some persons like varieties of the cabbage lettuce,
and I have figured one from Mr. Terry's garden, the Neapolitan
Cabbage (fig. 130). There is also an enormous lettuce, called
Dixon's Lettuce, which we sometimes grow, the leaves of which are
tender and excellent.
Lettuces are praised by Horace as easily digestible :—
"Nam lactuca innatat acri
Post vinum stomacho." — HORACE, Satira iv.
Lettuces should be grown in highly manured ground, and kept
watered at Midsummer. If the underground aphis attacks the root,
which it often does in August, the plant withers and dies.
96
MY GARDEN.
All lettuces contain a principle allied to opium ; for this reason
lettuces should be blanched, when less of the soporific principle is
produced. Gardeners handling lettuces all day become sleepy.
After the lettuce, and particularly for late autumn, winter, and early
spring use, the Endive (Cichorium Endivid] is valuable. There are
numerous varieties, but we generally restrict our cultivation to the
narrow, green, curled (C. E. crispa), and broad Batavian varieties (Cicho-
rium Endivia latifolici), of which I have figured the narrow-leaved
variety (fig. 131). We sow the seed in July, and transplant the young
plants into rich ground. After they have grown they are taken up with
a ball and placed in one of our cold frames, where they are blanched
for use. If not quite white, the plant is very bitter.
FIG. 131.— Curled Endive.
FIG. 132. — Chicory.
Allied to the endive we grow Chicory (Cichorium Intybus, fig. 132)
for salad. It is sown from March to June, as we desire large or small
roots. The roots are taken up in winter and planted in a warm cellar
or other dark place, when the young leaves which sprout are used as
salading. It is indispensable that the leaves should be thoroughly
blanched, or they are so bitter as not to be fit for eating. The
number of leaves which a few roots will produce is surprising, but
chicory should rather be used to mix with other salad plants than
employed by itself. The French use the leaves under the term of
Barbe du Capucin, and it is sold in moderate quantities in Covent
Garden market, but not nearly to the extent it deserves. Every
London householder should, throughout the winter, have some roots ;
if they are kept in a. dark cellar, either in a pot of sand or placed
SALAD PLAXTS.
97
horizontally in sand, the leaves will sprout and afford a salad when-
ever required. Horace thus speaks of chicory : —
" Me pascunt olivse
Me cichorea, levesque malvae." — Ode 31.
We must admit that the English do not understand the good
qualities of the Radish (RapJianus sativus). In France, go where you
will, you are sure to find on the tables in the restaurants, during the
summer and winter months, a glass of water containing young, delicious
fresh radishes. Here, radishes are rarely seen except in spring, and then
they are so large and coarse that they can only be eaten by any
one with strong teeth and a vigorous digestion. We obtain our first
radishes in early spring, by sowing the seed in the same frames as
our early potatoes ; afterwards, we obtain a crop in the orchard-
house. Following these, we get some out of doors, and in some
years, by sowing a few every week and by a proper application of the
water-pot, we have had radishes
till the autumn. There are many
varieties, some with long tap roots
(fig. 133, B), some turnip-shaped (fig.
134), and others are olive-shaped (fig.
133, A); but the French breakfast
radish is, to my taste, by far the
finest of all the varieties. For pri-
vate gardens it is well to begin
with the early frame, then continue,
throughout the summer, with the
olive-shaped and French breakfast ;
but a few seeds of the red and of the white turnip radishes may be
sown for use in spring. There is a late variety called the Black
Spanish, which comes into use in autumn ; and Mr. Robinson has lately
introduced from California a radish as large as a small beet-root.
Seed was sown in the Horticultural Gardens in August, and roots
were shown before the Committee in December, when they proved
to be tender and of excellent flavour.
H
Red Olive. Wood's
early frame
FIG 133. — Radishes,
\ diam.
White.
Red.
FIG. 134. — Turnip
radishes, \ diam.
98
MY GARDEN.
In some gardens — especially when the owner has lived in France —
Burnet (Poterium Sanguis orba, fig. 135) is invariably grown. It is a
wild plant of our district ; the leaves are used in salads, and give to
them a peculiar cucumber-like flavour. We have grown it, but I do
not remember that we have ever made much use of it.
We have in our streams a plant called the Brooklime (Veronica
Beccabungd], which is sometimes eaten by those who cannot get any-
thing better. In Paris, large quantities of Corn-salad (Valerianella
olitoria), or Lamb's-lettuce (fig. 136), are eaten. It is most disagreeable
FIG. 136. - Corn Salad.
FIG. 135. — Salad Burnet. FIG. 137. — Oxalis.
to me, and is in my opinion utterly worthless ; it should be exter-
minated from a garden as a useless weed. Some persons, however,
never like a salad without it.
One of my pretty glen plants, the Oxaiis Acetosella, or Shamrock
(fig. 137), is said to make a delicate salad. Its flowers are so beautiful
that it is one of the loveliest objects in spring. In some woods — as in
the Ancliffe woods in Yorkshire — it covers the ground, but with me it
is a delicate plant, from which we can only spare one or two leaves at a
time, to taste the exquisite acidulous flavour which it possesses.
In France, Dandelion leaves (Taraxacum Dens Leonis) are much
employed as a salad, though they are but rarely used by Englishmen.
From the influx of foreigners during the siege of Paris, there was a sale
for it in Covent Garden market. Dr. Hogg procured for the Hortj-
cultural Society some seed from plants which had been continuously
selected for five years. Specimens of the plants with leaves of large
size and of mild flavour were exhibited in 1871. Both Dr. Hogg- and
SALAD PLANTS.
99
FIG. 138. — Nasturtium.
myself thought highly of this attempt to improve a native and
hardy plant ; the Committee however, as a whole, thought the matter
unworthy of their approbation. But it deserves to be followed out,
as it is possible to raise this weed from its wild condition and
bitter flavour to the rank of a useful and
culinary vegetable. Sometimes the leaves
are used when blanched, but we have not
yet adopted this plan.
In France the flowers of the Nasturtium
(Tropceolum, fig. 138) are added to salad.
They not only look pretty, but also impart
a peculiar and agreeable flavour to the salad.
Celery (Apium graveolens, fig. 139) is an
important salad plant, as it is in use from
Michaelmas to May. It can be procured
earlier; but the 1st of October is quite soon
enough, considering how long it is in season.
The seed is planted early in February, in seed-
pans, in heat. As soon as the plant is suffi-
ciently high, it should be pricked out in rich,
highly manured soil, and then kept well
watered and protected from cold. About
Midsummer we remove these plants to
trenches highly manured, and about every
two weeks make successive plantings till the
middle of August. After it has made suffi-
cient growth, the earth is gradually piled up
by several operations, in order to cover the
stalks and thoroughly to blanch them. In cold weather the green tops
should be covered with straw, so as to protect them from frost. A
large quantity of celery ought always to be grown : it is a delicious
vegetal when stewed ; it is useful to give a flavour to soups ; but its
chief importance is its use as a salad, during the winter months.
There are numerous gardeners' varieties — each differing in flavour, in
H 2
FJG. 139. — Ivery's Nonsuch Celery,
A size.
ioo MY GARDEN.
solidity of stem, and in tenderness. No kind is worth growing unless it
is solid, as a pithy stem is very disagreeable. We grow chiefly a kind
called Ivery's Nonsuch, but add one or two other kinds every year from
the seedsmen's catalogues. There are one or two dwarf kinds of great
excellence. There is a variety of celery with
a bulbous root, called Celeraic (fig. 140), much
used at Vienna and in other parts of the Con-
tinent, but little grown in this country. The
seed is sown like that of celery, and planted
out in rich ground. The bulbs are boiled, cut
into slices, and served with oil and vinegar.
It forms a very delicious salad ing for winter
FIG. 140. — Celeraic, /„ diam.
market-places abroad, are much larger than those which have been
produced in my garden ; nevertheless some should invariably be grown.
In Scotland, celeraic forms no bulbs, and has only fibrous roots.
In some years the growth of celery is difficult on account of the
ravages of a leaf-eating grub (see Insects), which lives between the two
skins of the leaf and which causes the plant to rot. The only remedy
is to pick off the part of the leaf affected, taking care to remove
as little leaf as possible.
FIG. 141.— Cucumber, £ size.
Cucumbers (Cucumis sativa, fig. 141) form an article of salading
which we have all the year round. Even in winter we obtain
cucumbers when the sun vouchsafes to shine, but when it does not
appear for weeks our plants go to grief. For winter use we plant in
August, and prefer Rollison's Telegraph. It is a little difficult to get
seeds of the true kind, and hence we frequently propagate by cuttings
or layers, as a shoot six inches long, cut off at a joint and placed in
cocoa-nut fibre, very freely roots, and soon makes a flowering and
fruiting plant. In the same way a layer may be made cf a larger
shoot with perfect success.
SALAD PLAXTS.
ICI
About the beginning of May plants may be placed in cold frames
with hot dung underneath, and they will give fruit all the summer. At
the end of May certain kinds may be sown in highly manured ground
out of doors, but they have never succeeded well in my garden. I
have particularly observed this mode of cultivation at Sandy in
Bedfordshire, where hundreds of tons of cucumbers are produced
annually for market. Sandy is on the Greensand, which is a stratum
subsequent to the chalk. The ground is highly manured, and patches
of cucumbers are surrounded by seeding onions, which give a slight
protection from the wind without producing any shade. In fine years
the produce is almost fabulous. The kinds we prefer indoors, for
flavour, are Siofi House and the Telegraph, for both summer and
winter use. We sometimes grow, in summer, Pearson's Long Gun ;
occasionally changing these kinds for other varieties.
Cucumbers, pumpkins, and vegetal marrows have the male (B) and
female (A) flowers separate (fig. 142). It is indispensable to set melons,
FIG. 142. — Cucumber.
A, Female Flower; B, Male Flower. FIG. 143.— C'attell's Alliance Beet, ,'e diam.
it is advisable to set vegetal marrows; but it is reckoned preferable
not to set cucumbers unless the seed is wanted for future growth.
A cucumber should have no seeds in its interior, or it is pithy and
not good to eat. Gardeners select varieties yielding but little seed,
and hence it is not easy to procure seed of the best sorts.
A small kind of cucumber, called a gherkin, is used for pickling,
but they do not grow readily. When we obtain a crop, they form
a. most excellent pickle.
MY GARDEN.
Beet-root (Beta vulgar is, fig. 143) forms another invaluable winter
salading. The root is independent of cold winters, as it is stored
before frost can destroy it. It is baked or thoroughly boiled till it
is tender, when it is sliced and served at table with vinegar and small
pieces of shallot. We grow it in ample quantities for use between
October and June, and for large families it is one of the most economical
and useful of plants. The seed is sown in rows a foot apart in May.
When the young plants are about four inches high, they are thinned to
about ten inches or a foot apart in the row, and they require no further
care than hoeing between the roots and keeping the plants free from
weeds till the beginning of November, when they are stored in any
convenient shed away from frost. There are many varieties. The
sugar beet is moderately good, but it is large and white. Henderson's
pine-apple is good. Nutting's is particularly well flavoured. Carter's
variety is very deep coloured. Cattell's is also good.
As beet-roots approach the size and character of mangold-wurzels
they are more earthy in flavour ; hence the kinds which yield small
roots are preferable. Beet-roots and mangold-wurzels of all kinds, when
grated and mixed with flour, make very fair bread, which may be
advantageously used in times of scarcity.
LEGUMINOUS PLANTS.
The luxury of a garden is in no respect more felt than in its
production of leguminous plants, which can never be bought as fine
or got so fresh as when grown in our own garden. The Pea (Pisum
sativuni] is a particularly fine vegetal, which may be procured in
favourable seasons, and under proper culture, from the end of May
till the beginning of November. We endeavour to have them as
early as possible, but we do not always succeed, as early peas are
more easily obtained in the sandy soil near Grays in Essex than in
our soil and moister atmosphere. We seek to have them as fine as
possible, in which we constantly succeed, and we like to have them
as late as possible, in which we occasionally succeed.
The first crop is sown in November. The seeds germinate, and
LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. 103
the plants ought to stand the winter, as they will bear frost but not
much damp. These give fruit in May, but I have known the whole
crop to be cut off by a snow-storm when they have been in flower
in the month of April. The first pea which is sown goes in the trade
under many names, having little or no difference. Advertising seeds-
men always have a pea to be fit ten days earlier than any other, but the
22nd of May is the earliest date at which peas ever come to the London
market. Mr. Jackson of Grays, who has frequently sent the first peas to
market, sows a selected stock of Daniel O'Rourke. In the second week
FIG. 144.— Dixon's Early Pea, £ diam.
FIG. 145. —Champion of England Pea, J diam.
of November, we sow Dixon's First and Best (fig. I44)> or Sutton's
Ringleader for autumn planting. For sowing in February we obtain
Daniel O'Rourke, which is better flavoured but rather more tender
than the other varieties. All these sorts when they come to table are
like little round bullets, with but little flavour. The ripe seed is
round and smooth on the surface.
In February a really fine pea is sown— the Champion of England
(fig. 145). This should be sown every two or three weeks in succession.
It grows about five feet high in my soil, and if planted at the same
time as Daniel O'Rourke comes into bearing two or three weeks later.
In the beginning of March the finest of all peas is sown, called
Veitch's Perfection (fig. 146). The haulm is from three to four feet
104
MY GARDEN.
high, and the pods are well filled with very large peas; but when
boiled, nothing can be compared with them for tenderness and flavour.
This variety comes in during the months of July and August.
Two or three sowings at intervals of about three weeks should be
made of this pea. In April another fine pea is sown to follow
Veitch's Perfection, which is called Ne Plus Ultra (fig. 147). It grows
six feet high and is an abundant bearer, the flavour, however, being
second to that of Veitch's Perfection. By a succession of these we
obtain peas till November, if birds do not forestall us, or if fungus
does not attack the haulm.
'••.
FIG. 146. — Pea, Veitch's Perfection, \ diam.
FIG. 147.- Ne Plus Ultra Pea, \ diam.
The Champion of England, Veitch's Perfection, and Ne Plus Ultra
are called marrow or wrinkled peas, because the ripe seed is wrinkled
on the surface. Amongst the varieties of peas, the white wrinkled are
esteemed as having a finer flavour than the green wrinkled peas.
It is a good plan every year to try one or two additional kinds
selected from the seedsmen's catalogues according to the plausibility
of the recommendation, but on no account do we omit to grow
Daniel O'Rourke, Champion of England, Veitch's Perfection, and Ne
LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. ,Oc
Plus Ultra. I must confess that the growth of these novelties is
generally attended with more vexation than profit.
My gardener sows peas in trenches like celery, which is certainly
of great advantage in late peas, but is of doubtful benefit in earlier
crops. We have tried to raise peas in pots and to transplant them in
spring, but the experiment has always failed, as the peas so raised
are tender, and perish with the slightest frost. The small early peas
are sown more thickly than the larger or later ones, which may be
sown two to three inches apart. Besides the above peas, there is a
curious variety without the tough lining membrane of the shell,
which is eaten when cooked shell and all, as French beans are. It
is a mere curiosity, and unworthy of serious attention.
During winter we grow peas for their tops. A number are placed
in a pot and allowed to germinate in a warm house. The tops are
boiled, and used to flavour and colour soup. Peas are highly nutri-
tious when they are easily digested. Their ash contains a large pro-
portion of phosphates, and they require, therefore, rich soil, and one
of sufficient porosity for their roots to penetrate deeply to moisture.
Where a garden is of sufficient extent, it is desirable to plant a
single row by itself, as that yields the most produce : otherwise, if
planted in consecutive rows, there should be as great a distance
between the rows as the haulm is high ; — that is, peas growing four feet
high should be planted four feet apart, those six feet high should be
planted six feet apart. Tall peas should be staked as soon as they are
about four inches high, that the haulm may not be damaged before
it clings to the stick. Every part of the pea plant is useful. That
which man does not eat the horse and other animals will, and if peas
are shelled near stables there is a commotion amongst the horses,
as they can smell the delicious food, and will not be easy till
they obtain it.
Every one who visits the Continent must be struck with the
difference of flavour which the commonly cultivated foreign pea
has, and how inferior it is to our better varieties. It is, however,
preserved in enormous quantities in tin cases for winter use, and is
106 MY GARDEN.
employed in the preparation of entrees and soups. It is worth
consideration whether such an industry might not be profitably
undertaken in those parts of this country where land and labour
are moderate in price, and where our cultivated peas so far excel
the Continental varieties.
Birds at times shell peas to a large extent. A visit of young
jackdaws on a Sunday, when our garden is quiet, will clear a row of
peas. The beautiful bullfinch is equally destructive. But the greatest
enemy to the pea is the pea fungus, which will be described hereafter.
The Bean (Faba vulgaris, fig. 148) is a vegetal highly esteemed
by some persons, but it is inferior
to the pea, which it resembles in the
amount of nitrogenous matter in its
composition, and in the high pro-
portion of phosphates which is con-
tained in the ash. In Italy it appears
to be used even to a greater extent
than in England, although the dish
of beans and bacon is never omitted
FIG. 148.— Early Mazagan Bean, £ diam. r r . • T " T d
Horace enjoyed them nearly two thousand years ago —
" O quando faba Pythagorse cognata, simulque
Uncta satis pingui ponentur oluscula lardo ? " — Satira vi.
Beans are sown about three inches apart in drills about three inches
deep, in the month of December, for the first crop of the next year.
These bear in June, and by successive sowings in January, February,
and March the season may be maintained till autumn. We sow the
Mazagan (fig. 148) in December, and the Long Pod or Green Long
Pod in spring. There are many other varieties which we occasionally
grow, but these are the principal ones in use at my garden. A bean,
to my taste, should be quickly grown, and little larger than a marrow-
fat pea to be in perfection, for if it be larger and harder there are not
many persons who can readily digest them. Beans are sometimes
LEGUMINOUS PLANTS.
107
severely attacked by the Bean aphis, and also by some fungi.
Herodotus states that " Beans are sown in no part of Egypt, neither
will the inhabitants eat them, either boiled or raw ; the priests will
not even look at this pulse, esteeming it exceedingly unclean."
The Kidney-bean (Phaseolus vulgaris] is an important garden
legume, of which we desire to prolong the crop as long as possible.
There are very many varieties, some having white seeds, others seeds
coloured ; some being tall or running, others dwarf. The difference
in the bean itself does not warrant much trouble being taken in
FIG. 149.— Negro Bean, \ size.
FIG. 150.— Scarlet Runner, \ size.
selecting the kind, and we may restrict our growth to two or three
varieties. The Newington Wonder and Dwarf Negro are good
coloured varieties ; the latter especially forms fine regular symmetrical
pods, and is chiefly cultivated for the London market (fig. 149). We
sow our first crop out of doors the last week in April, and obtain
produce in the middle of July, and we sow two or three successive
crops. About the middle of July we make a final sowing in one of
the cold frames, generally in one where a crop of melons has been
MY GARDEN.
ripened. The plants are allowed to grow in the open air till the equi-
noctial gales occur, when the lights are used at night and during wet
days. Later in the season the frames are matted at night, and in
this way abundant produce is obtained till about the second week of
November, when generally a frost occurs sufficiently severe to pene-
trate the frame, notwithstanding its covering, and to kill the plant. The
length of time during which the plants last greatly depends upon
the attention of the gardener.
The Kidney-bean grows in any good garden soil. The seeds
should be planted in rows two feet apart, and the seeds about four
inches from each other. Every bean should be gathered as it is fit ;
and as we use the pods in a green, immature state, the more we gather
the more we get, for a ripened pod exhausts and consequently kills
the plant. We sometimes have a few early forced beans from pits
placed in the cucumber-house, and where there is a hothouse it is
useful to have them in early spring.
Allied to the French bean, the Scarlet Runner (PJiaseolus inultiflorus,
fig. 150) is a great favourite with the poor, who train it over their cottages.
The scarlet runner is a perennial plant, though in this country I have
never seen it live the winter, nor have I ever preserved the roots
through the winter. There are several varieties, of which it is need-
less to take heed, as the common one suffices for all usual purposes.
It is planted, like French beans, in April, and yields its produce in
July, August, and September. The equinoctial gales have a hurtful
effect upon it ; but when it is protected from the violence of these
gales, it will bear longer. Sometimes it is grown with us in rows
upon sticks ; sometimes it is grown over three poles arranged as
a tripod, which allows more air and light. The latter is the prefer-
able method, though I am bound to say that we generally employ
the former. Market-gardeners usually do not employ sticks, but cut
the runner back to about three feet of the ground. It is a good plan
to make three sowings, — the first in the last week in April, the second
in the third week of May, and the third in the middle of June. When
we desire large and continued produce, it is of great consequence to
SP1NACEOVS VEGETALS.
109
gather every single pod as it is fit for use. A very coarse variety has
been lately introduced, which, however, is not to be commended.
SPINACEOUS VEGETALS.
Spinach (Spinacia oleraced] may be obtained nearly all the year,
except in the hot month of August and in the beginning of September.
There are two varieties ; the round-seeded and prickly-seeded. The
round-seeded (fig. 151) is sown between the rows of peas, and gives
produce till the heat of summer causes it to run to flower, when it is
pulled up and given to the animals. We sow our first crop in
February, and repeat the sowing every month till June. The prickly-
seeded is sown in the middle of August, and again in September,
and these plants stand the winter.
F'iG. 151. - Spinach, \ diam. FIG. 152. — New Zealand Spinach, \ diam.
When common spinach cannot be procured, the New Zealand spinach
(Tetragonia expansa, fig. 152) comes to our aid. It is a plant which
was found by Captain Cook in the Pacific, and used by him to prevent
scurvy. We sow a few seeds in a pan in a hot-bed in April, and plant
out in May, when abundance of leaves are yielded in August and
September. It is not so much used as it ought to be.
We have occasionally used in summer the Spinach Beet (fig. 153),
which yields plenty of leaves and affords a good spinach in August
and September. At the Trossachs Hotel, in Scotland, the gardener
informed me that the spinach beet was the first vegetal to sprout
in spring in that country, and, for that reason, he found it a valuable
addition to the garden produce.
i io MY GARDEN.
We grow also two varieties of Sorrel (Rumex acetosa, fig. 154), the
narrow-leaved and the broad-leaved, which is much more esteemed in
FIG. 153. — Silver Beet, ^ diam. FIG. 154. — Sorrel, \ diam.
France than in England. They are perennial plants of the Rhubarb
race, and may be propagated by dividing the root. They may also be
propagated by seed sown half an inch deep and the rows fifteen inches
apart. Sorrel likes a rich, good soil.
THE CABBAGE TRIBE.
The Cabbage tribe (Bmssica oleracea capitatci] are important, as in
one form or another they are in use all the year round. There are
many varieties of the common cabbage. The largest is the Drumhead,
chiefly used for cattle. The smallest is the Little Pixie or the Early
York. Intermediate sizes are to be obtained in the Cocoa-nut (fig. 155),
Enfield Market, Battersea, and Nonpareil. The red cabbage, although
used chiefly for pickling, is a good culinary vegetal, and a partridge with
red cabbage is no bad dish for an epicure. We usually sow in January,
in the orchard-house, the seed of red cabbage and of one or two other
kinds of cabbages. We sow again in March, and again in August,
although the orchard-house-sown may take the place of the August-
sown ones.
We grow also a collard which is extremely hardy, and which has
been selected over a period of years ; it is very difficult to seed, and
THE CABBAGE TRIBE.
in
forms numerous heads by way of sprouts : this variety is found useful
in early spring. Cabbages may be propagated by cuttings as well as
by seed. The Savoy (Brassica oleracea btdlata major, fig. 156) is a
FIG. 155. — Cabbage, \ diam.
FIG. 156.— Savoy, \ diam.
hardy form of vegetal, but coarser than the common cabbage. It should
always be grown for winter use. We sow in March, plant out in July
and August, and have them in use between November and February.
For winter use unquestionably, for a private garden, Brussels sprouts
(Brassica oleracea bullata gemmifera, fig. 157) are of more value than
any of the cabbage tribe. They are perfectly hardy, and withstand the
severest cold ; for this reason they should always be grown in quantity,
as they last from the beginning of October till late in spring. The
Brussels sprouts are so called because they throw up a stem about three
feet high with leaves all the way up. In the axils of these leaves
miniature savoys or sprouts are formed. It is curious that this
vegetal does not remain true in many other places than at Brussels,
although true seed may be obtained elsewhere. The produce is very
large, for the little heads make up in quantity what they want in size.
The head of the Brussels sprout is a poor cabbage-like development,
which may be eaten, .but is not so good as the little sprout.
The seed of our first crop is sown in the orchard-house in February.
The main crop is sown at the end of March, in the open ground. The
plants of the first sowing are planted out in May and June, as ground
112
MY GARDEN.
can be spared, and plants of the second are planted in July. The plants
may be placed in rows two feet asunder and a foot apart.
In Scotland it is usual to sow the seed of Brussels sprouts in August
for a crop the succeeding year.
Fi.r, 158.— Kohl Rabi, | diam.
FIG. 157.- Brussels Sprouts, \ diam.
FIG. 159. — Cauliflower, \ diam.
A small quantity of Kohl Rabi (Brassica Carlo Rapes, fig. 158) is
sometimes grown at my garden for the cattle. Occasionally we have
cooked it by way of experiment, but it is, at best, an indifferent vegetal.
The seed is sown in February and planted out in. May, when by autumn
the bulbs are fairly formed. It is particularly adapted for dry
summers, as the hotter and drier the summer, the finer the bulbs.
We always grow a limited amount of Kale (Brassica oleraced}.
THE CABBAGE TRIBE. II3
It is very hardy, but inferior to Brussels sprouts. We have grown
at various times many kinds : the Cottagers' kale, the Asparagus
kale, and other varieties ; but all are inferior to Brussels sprouts.
There is one variety, the Variegated kale, which, if the seed can be
bought from a good stock, is a most beautiful vegetal for garnishing
in early spring, the leaves showing all the colours of the rainbow.
We sow the seed in March, and plant out as soon as we can obtain
ground in July, in rows two feet apart and eighteen inches from plant
to plant. In Scotland, the cottagers pride themselves on the beauty
of the leaf of their kale, which they obtain excessively curled.
We have generally Cauliflowers (Brassica oleracea} from June to
Christmas, sometimes even later. Our early crop is sown in the third
week of August. The young plants are transplanted in November to one
of our cold pits, where they are kept more dry than moist, and are
fully exposed to the air every fine day. In very severe winters many
plants perish, but in very warm ones they grow too freely. The plants
are transplanted out of doors in rich ground in February and March,
and give produce in June. The second crop is sown in the orchard-
house in January. A third crop is sown in the second week in March,
and for late autumn and early winter use we sow again in the third week
in May. In November all the plants are taken up, and placed in one of
our cold frames to protect them from frost, when they give produce till
Christmas or later. There are not many varieties of cauliflowers. For
sowing in August we use the Early London (fig. 159); for the other
sowings we generally grow the Walcheren. Near Naples they attain
such prodigious dimensions that three constitute a comfortable load
for a mule. With us, in favourable winters, young cauliflower plants
will stand under a wall without protection ; it is a common practice to
winter them under hand lights, though we prefer the cold frame.
Veitch's late cauliflower is a fine variety, which, if sown in August,
comes in later than the Early London.
Broccoli (Brassica oleraccd] is a good vegetal in April and May,
before cauliflowers come in, when a favourable season enables us to
get it, but a crop cannot be relied upon in bad winters, and it
I
ii4 MY GARDEN.
is inferior in texture, delicacy, and flavour to a well-grown cauli-
flower. In some winters not half-a-dozen plants survive. We plant
the Cape varieties about the second week in April, and the spring kinds
about the middle of May, and plant them out as we can spare room.
The varieties of Broccoli are legion, and therefore I usually buy half a
dozen kinds, in the hope that they may come in in succession, and
that some may prove hardier than others. In both these respects we
are frequently disappointed, as sometimes all come in together, at others
all perish. • It has been noticed that broccoli plants exposed to air and
light in an open situation stand better than those planted in a sheltered
garden. Chapell's cream-colour, Knight's protecting, and Snow's white
are all good kinds which we always grow.
There is a variety of broccoli called sprouting broccoli, because little
broccoli sprout from the axils of the leaves, like the little heads which
form in a similar situation in Brussels sprouts. The seed is sown in the
middle of May, and the produce is obtained in April and May following.
All the cabbage tribe like a well-manured soil. They are gross
feeders, consequently putrid or coarse manures are to be avoided, as
they are apt to be absorbed by the plant, and give — especially if the
vegetal is not quite fresh — a most unpleasant flavour. Good stable
manure only 'should be used for any of the cabbage tribe.
SEA-KALE, ASPARAGUS, ARTICHOKES, ETC.
Although Sea-kale (Crambe maritimd] and Asparagus (Asparagus
officinalis) are widely apart in their botanical characters, yet one takes
the place of the other upon the table. Sea-kale is in use from the
middle of December till about the middle of May, asparagus from the
third week of April till the middle of July ; however, I forbid my
plants to be cut after the 1st of July.
Asparagus beds take much room. They should be made three feet
wide, deeply trenched, and very heavily manured, when they will stand
for many years. In each row sometimes three, sometimes four rows of
plants are set, but I have not observed much difference in the produce.
They should be two years old when planted in the bed. In winter, when
SEA-KALE, ASPARAGUS, ARTICHOKES, ETC.
the stalk has perished, we give a good coat of stable manure, and cover
with earth. In spring, about the middle of March, the earth is raked off
into the alley. The first shoots appear (fig. 160) about the
second week in April, but are then frequently frosted. The
shoots continue to appear, and come again after the first are
cut, till July, but too much cutting exhausts the bed. Aspa-
ragus is essentially the May vegetal, and enough should be
grown to have daily produce till peas come in season.
Foreigners fully appreciate asparagus, and in Italy wild
asparagus is frequently on table ; its flavour is so intensified Fl(. I6o
T T» 11 Asparagus,
as to be almost nauseous. In rans enormous heads are idiam.
brought to market from (I have been told) the South of France, but
how it attains those immoderate proportions I am unaware, although
I have made particular inquiries upon this point. Many persons
salt their asparagus beds, but I have never done so to mine, and
yet they yield good produce. Asparagus, as sold in the London
market, is cut too young, because then it looks larger. In private
gardens it should always be cut with so much
green that a length of at least three inches
without any stringy matter is entirely eatable.
Sometimes, when I have been able to procure
roots from an old bed, I have forced it in
a frame over a gentle hot-bed, but it requires
all the light possible to give flavour. Forced
asparagus upon any scale is a luxury only
adapted for state feasts. There is perhaps
only one variety of asparagus; and it is very
doubtful if the so-called giant varieties present
any real differences.
As Sea-kale (fig. 161) is in use over many
mon'hs, it requires a proportionately large
plantation. It is propagated by seed, or more Fl(;' l6l-~ Sen-kalc' * si/r~
commonly by little offsets from the larger plants. The first crop we
obtain by taking up roots and placing them in a gentle hot-bed, care-
I 2
1 6 MY GARDEN.
fully covered from the light, as this vegetal is disagreeable if not
thoroughly blanched. Our later crops are obtained under sea-kale pots
by covering them with leaves and hot dung, beginning with about two
dozen pots at one end of the bed. As soon as the produce has been
cut the pots are removed row by row beyond the former, and the leaves
and hot dung turned over also to the new plants, by which a succes-
sion is secured. A sea-kale bed will last many years ; and as it is
one of our natural wild plants, it is perfectly hardy. I never saw it
in use on the Continent, and foreigners at my table have often
expressed great curiosity at the sight of this vegetal.
We have trouble with Artichokes (Cynara Scolymus), as they are apt
to perish in winter in my garden. They should always be propagated
by offsets, as when raised from seed many
indifferent varieties are produced. The Globe
Artichoke (fig. 162) is the best variety to culti-
vate. The flower is the part used for cookery,
and should be employed young. In Italy they
come to table all the spring, but probably
they are brought from the extreme south.
I have grown Cardoons (Cynara cardun-
FIG. 162.— Artichoke, \ size. culus), but never will again, as whether I have
tasted them from my own garden, or whether I have obtained them
abroad, they appear to be unworthy of cultivation. The blanched ribs
of the leaves are eaten, but are infinitely inferior to stewed celery.
THE ALLIACEOUS PLANTS.
We grow four distinct crops of onions (A Ilium Cepa). First of
all we have the underground onions (fig. 163), which are planted in
January, and yield their crop in June. A single tuber is planted,
which gives four or five new tubers. They are useful for ships going
abroad at that season of the year, but the tubers do not keep well,
and this crop may be dispensed with. The second crop is raised by
sowing seed from the middle to the end of August. The plants live
THE ALLIACEOUS PLANTS.
\ \
through the winter, afford young onions through the spring, and the
remainder being either thinned or transplanted into rich soil produce
FIG. 163. — Underground Onion, \ diam.
FIG. 164.— Globe Tripoli Onion, J diam.
by August fine bulbs. These onions attain much larger size if the soil
between them is stirred, and small quantities of guano be given to them.
The best kinds for this purpose are the Flat and Globe Tripoli,
the Rocca, and Spanish onions. We have grown the Globe Tripoli
(fig. 164) nearly two pounds in weight, but at Naples they have
attained nearly four pounds in weigfit. The third or main crop is
sown in March, and when ripe is stored for winter use. The Spanish
and blood-red are best for this crop. The fourth or last crop is
cultivated to produce little tubers for pickling.
Our soil is not well adapted to produce little
onions, and we succeed but badly with them,
probably from its being too damp. The cells of
the skins of onions have crystals in them (fig.
165), which may be seen when examined under
the microscope. We have occasionally had the FlG. l6-._ ^ryslais ,„ union
tree onion, a variety which produces little onions at the tops of stalks.
They are coarse and strong, and of no horticultural importance.
We always cultivate the Leek (A Ilium Porrum, fig. 166), which
is a choice vegetal in early spring. It is the hardiest of all the
hardy plants of the garden, standing the severest frost with impunit
\i ^f^§
i8
MY GARDEN.
Books tell us how to grow large leeks, but what is to be done
with them when we have obtained them ? Leeks for the table
should be about an inch in diameter, and about six inches long :
they are valuable in January, February, March, April, and beginning
of May, when other fresh vegetals are scarce. We sow the seed
broadcast in March, so as to have plenty of small leeks, rather
than a few which are larger. The sorts which we employ are the
London and Musselburgh, and they require no further trouble in their
cultivation than hoeing and weeding after having been sown.
FIG. 167. — Chives,
| diain.
FIG. 16?.— Shallots,
\ diain.
FIG. 1 66. — Leek.
We have Chives (A Ilium Schcenoprasum, fig. 167) in the garden,
to be used when onions fail; but as they never do fail, and as by
the system we adopt young onions are obtainable all the spring,
chives may be fairly dispensed with.
Shallots (A Ilium ascalonicum, fig. 168) are always carefully cultivated.
They are planted in drills six inches from each other, and the rows
a foot apart, at the same time in February as the potato onions are
planted ; they are ripe in July. Some are then taken up and stored
for winter use. Some are pickled, and the rest are retained to be
planted the next spring.
We grow a very limited amount of Garlic (A Ilium sativum, fig. 169).
THE A LIJA CEO US PL A .VZ'.V. j 1 9
The Romans considered it injurious: "Allium torquet, adurit, enecat."
(Pliny, lib. xxv. cap. 13.) Our Continental neighbours
use it to such an extent as to be offensive to the Eng-
lish, and enough to deter them for ever from using it in
cookery. Garlic is grown like shallots or potato onions.
A most extraordinary idea is mentioned by Horace, Fl(;' I<59-~~ Garlic'
who speaks of garlic as a fit poison for any one who has killed his
father:—
" Parentis olim si quis impia manu
Senile guttar fregerit,
Edat cicutis allium nocentius." — Epode 3.
MARROWS AND PUMPKINS.
Marrows (Cucurbita ovifera, fig. 170) are of great use in August,
and when the hot weather dries up nearly every other
vegetal it makes the vegetal marrow plants thrive and
fruit. There are several varieties in cultivation ; but one,
the Custard, although very pretty in appearance, we have
totally discarded, from its inferior quality at the table.
The seed is sown in cold frames in April, and allowed to
germinate slowly. At the end of May they may be
planted out with a barrow of manure, when they will
usefully cover any unsightly object. The more the marrows FlG I707_vege-
tal Marrow,
are cut the greater will be the produce, as a single fruit
allowed to seed stops the produce of the
plant. If at the end of the season a few
are allowed to ripen, they will keep, and
may be used through the winter.
We grow Pumpkins (Cucurbita Pepo, fig.
171) rather more for the pleasure of seeing
plr T_, PntrmVin JL ill mi r i
them than for their intrinsic value. They
are used in apple-pies ; but the pies are better with apples alone,
without the pumpkins. Pumpkin soup is extremely good, and can be
particularly commended. Pumpkins are grown in the same manner
as vegetal marrows. Neither our pumpkins nor vegetal marrows
120
MY GARDEN.
were attacked with disease till 1871, when they were attacked by
aphides and fungi.
CULINARY ROOTS AND TUBERS.
We grow several crops of Turnips (Brassica Rapa, fig. 172). The
first crop is sown early in March, and successional sowings are made
till the middle of August. There are many varieties ; we generally
prefer the American Strap Leaf and the White Stone, though some
prefer the Orange-jelly, which some again think objectionable on
FIG. 172.— Six Weeks'
Turnip, \ diam.
FIG. 173. — French Horn Carrot, J diatn.
account of the yellow colour. Abroad, black-
skinned turnips and long turnips are sold at
every market-place. We sow the seed broad-
cast, and thin the young plants with the hoe.
Turnips have many enemies. They are eaten
up by the fly, they are attacked by aphides
and fungi, and they are also attacked by Fir" ^.-student Parsnip, ^ size.
caterpillars. The turnip is a classical root praised by Horace, who
says —
"Acria circum
Rapula, lactucae, radices, qualia lassum
Pervellunt stomachum." — Satira viii.
Several crops of Carrots (Daiicus Carota) are grown. The first crop
is sown in a frame over a little hot dung in February, and comes
in in May and June, and it is the most delicious of all. In March
CULINARY ROOTS AND TUBERS. 121
a main crop is sown, and later other French Horn carrot seed
to be used in winter. There is no carrot at all to equal the French
Horn (fig. 173) in tenderness and flavour, when the seed can be pro-
cured true. The Altringham and the Long Surrey are stored for winter
use, but whenever the French Horn can be procured, all the large and
coarse sorts are better used for the horse than for the gentleman's table.
The Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa, fig. 174) is invaluable for winter
and early spring use. In nutritive properties it is perhaps next to
the potato amongst the ordinary culinary vegetals. We sow the
seed in February in shallow drills about a foot apart, and thin the
plants afterwards to twelve inches apart. The Student Selected Parsnip
is a fine flavoured variety, which we generally grow together with
the Hollow Crown. Parsnips are in the highest perfection in February
and March.
Jerusalem Artichokes (Helianthiis tuberosus, fig. 175) are more appre-
ciated on the Continent than in England, where this very
useful root is too much neglected. The Artichoke is a
very hardy root, grows with very little trouble, and yields
good produce. It is useful in spring as a vegetal, and
makes besides capital soup. It is propagated from the
tubers, and a fresh plantation should be made annually of
the superfluous tubers. It flowers sometimes in this country,
but does not seed. A friend of mine grew some acres of
them, but could not sell them at market at all, so little are
they used. Although Londoners discard them, they are a
favourite food with pheasants, which show in this matter a
more refined taste. FIG. i75.— Jeru-
salem Artichoke,
I bought a number of the roots of the Oxalis crenata in
Paris, where they are sold in the Palais Royal, but in my garden they
did not form tubers.
The tuberous-rooted Chervil (Ch&rophyllum sativum, fig. 176) is
also commonly sold in the Palais Royal. Up to this time I have not
succeeded in its growth, as the roots have been too small for use. The
plants grow six feet high, and are ornamental. This year mine have
122
MY GARDEN.
freely seeded, and I hope to have better success. The seed should be
sown in August, as soon as ripe. The roots boiled are an excellent
vegetal.
FIG. 176.— Tuberous-rooted Chervil.
FIG. 177.— Salsify, £ diani.
FIG. 178. — Scorzonera, £ du
Salsify (Ttagopogim porrifolius, fig. 177) may be regarded as another
fancy vegetal. The roots are boiled, and as cooked by our neighbours
are excellent. The seed is sown in March, and, like parsnips, this
vegetal is in use all the winter.
Scorzonera (Scorzonera hispanica, fig. 178) is used in the same way
as salsify, and is of no more importance, but is nevertheless an
excellent vegetal.
The Chinese Yam (Batatas edulis) is another vegetal which does
not give sufficient produce with me ; but probably if more attention
had been paid to its cultivation it would have succeeded better. All
the varieties of .sweet potatoes of the West Indies will grow during
the summer, but they form no tubers. The Chinese Yam is a trailing
plant with a tuber which grows downwards. It is propagated by little
bulbs formed in the axils of the leaves, or by division of the tuber :
it requires very deep ground. The tubers are cooked like potatoes.
CULINARY ROOTS AND TUBERS. 123
The Potato (Solanum tuberostim, fig. 179), in our social system, is
really a field crop, from the vast areas cultivated and from the large
quantity consumed. Nevertheless we give it a moderate place in the
garden. We grow only two crops, and for both
have used a variety known under the name of
Rivers' Ash-leaf Kidney. Early in January
we place a number of tubers in a shallow pan
in the vinery, on earth, and let them sprout
. FIG. 179.— Royal Ash-leaf Potato,
slowly ; they are then planted in a layer of \ size,
nine inches of garden mould, placed over about two feet of leaves and
rotten dung to give a gentle and long-continued heat. These are fit
for the table about the middle of May, and last till the end of June,
a period at which a well-ripened new potato is a desideratum. For
our second crop the tubers are started in the same manner and placed
out in rows two feet apart, and these come into use when the frame
crop is finished. The earth is drawn up to the haulm when the plant
is about six inches high, and that is all the cultivation which is re-
quired. The varieties of seedlings are now endless. By sowing the
seed of a good kind another good kind out of a certain number may
be fairly expected, and in selecting our kind we should be guided,
firstly, by its having a small haulm, as it then occupies little room ;
secondly, by the solidity of the tuber; thirdly, by the weight of the
tuber ; fourthly, by its flavour, and the absence of a sweet taste ;
fifthly, by its tuber being floury when cooked ; sixthly, by the
smoothness of its surface, and shallowness of the eyes, so that when
peeled there is but little waste ; and seventhly, by its productiveness.
Of late years the potato has been subject to disease, when
the haulm dies, the cells of the tuber lose their starch, and the cel-
lular tissue breaks down (fig. 180). From my observations I believe
the Aphis vastator, an aphis which has numerous synonyms, attacks
the leaves ; the plant is then attacked with a parasite fungus called
the Pcnispora infestans, after which the plant dies and the tuber rots.
Some good botanists consider that the fungus, and not the aphis, is the
cause of the malady, and others believe that neither aphis nor fungus
124
MY GARDEN.
has anything to do with the disease. I believe the aphis is the first
aggressor, and that the fungus follows (see Fungi and Insects).
In foreign countries the curious fruit of the Egg plant (Solanum
esculentum, fig. 181) is freely sold in the markets. In this country it
FIG. 181. — Solatium esculentiun.
FIG. iSo
is seldom if ever used. The white variety is a peculiarly interesting and*
curious plant, but the purple is more commonly employed as a vegetal.
HERBS AND AROMATIC PLANTS.
Several plants are grown for their aromatic properties, such as Mint
(Menthd], which contains an essential oil. The common Mint (fig. 182)
is propagated by division : it likes a loose soil. We never force it,
but if required early it can be raised by placing a pot full of roots
in a warm house. Its essential oil is used in medicine for flavouring.
We grow the Pennyroyal (fig. 183), but with us it is not a plant
which is ever used.
We cultivate the Peppermint (Mentha Piperita, fig. 184) as a curiosity,
but really have no use for it, Over our district it is grown in very large
quantities for medicinal purposes. It is distilled about the middle of
August, and the essential oil produced is the finest in the world, and is
called oil of peppermint of Mitcham. When the distillation is being
carried on, the air is full of the odour. It is replanted every year, a
single shoot being dibbed in a hole, and many acres are cultivated with
this plant. Honey made in our district has a distinct flavour of
HERBS AND AROMATIC PLANTS.
peppermint. Its essential oil is useful as a warm cordial, and useful
with other remedies in diarrhoea.
We generally have a plant of Balm (Melissa officinalis, fig. 185).
It is occasionally used as balm tea, but is a plant of no importance
whatever.
FIG. 183, — Pennyroyal.
FIG. 184. — Peppermint.
FIG. 182.— Mint.
Sage (Salvia officinalis, fig. 1 86) is used for cookery. There are two
or three varieties, but the common sage suffices for all practical purposes.
It is propagated either from seed or from cuttings, but it requires abun-
dance of light, or it is apt to perish in winter. It does not stand so well
in my garden as it does in many other apparently colder situations.
FlG.I86.-Sage.
lG.I.-a. FK, x87.-Thy,ne.
FIG. 185.— Balm.
Thyme is another herb of universal cultivation. There is common
thyme (Thymns vulgaris, fig. 187), which is propagated by seed, also
Ltmon thyme (Thymits citriodorus) and Orange thyme. Lemon
126
MY GARDEN.
thyme is propagated by cuttings, and is the best variety. The crop
should be cut in summer, and hung up to dry for winter use.
We grow Borage (Borago officinalis, fig. 188) for two reasons: first
because it has a beautiful flower, and secondly because it imparts a
FIG. 188.— Borage.
FIG. 189. — Marigold.
pleasant flavour to claret-cup, which is a very desirable drink in the
height of summer. It is propagated by seed, and comes up spon-
taneously every year.
Marigolds (Calendula officinalis, fig. 189) are employed in broths and
soups, especially abroad, but I never
saw them so used. The plant is only
grown with us for its flower, but
the flowers are said to be dried and
sold as an article of commerce in
Holland.
We do not grow either Aniseed
(Pimpinella Anistim), Coriander-seed
(Coriandrum sativum\ or Caraway
(Carnm Carui). Angelica (Archan-
FIG. 190. - Angelica. / . rr • j • r \ • i
gchca officinahs, fig. 190) is much
used in a crystallized state for confectionery, and there are very few
parties where it does not appear at table. The leaf-stalks are used
in spring when young and tender. The plant grows very freely, and
is very handsome ; but we never make use of it, as in fact only a
skilled confectioner can preserve it. It is propagated by seed, which
should be sown as soon as it is ripe, in August. It sows itself
spontaneously.
HERBS AND AROMATIC PLANTS.
127
In nearly every garden Feverfew (fig. 191) is grown. I have often
heard that persons drink an infusion of the leaves, but I have no
experience of its value, and probably it may be discarded altogether.
The Woodroof (Asperula odorata, fig. 192) is a sweet-scented wild
plant which ought to be cultivated for the prettiness of its flower, for
its hay-like odour, and for the flavour which it imparts to claret-cup.
It grows well with me, but some time ago I nearly lost the whole,
as a stupid labourer was carefully picking it all out as a useless
FIG. 191. — Feverfew.
FIG. 192. — Woodroof.
FIG. 193.— Samphire.
weed. This is really one of the greatest difficulties with which a
cultivator of plants has to contend, as employes destroy the loveliest
plants, and only preserve some florist's worthless monstrosity.
Samphire (Crithmum maritimum,&& 193) is rarely grown in gardens,
although it appears to thrive well at Wallington. When planted, some
chalk was sunk in the ground and a little earth spread over, on which the
plants grow. It grows wild at Folkestone and on the cliffs of Dover,
where persons were formerly suspended by a rope to gather it from
the cliffs. Its leaves are pickled to be mixed with salads, to impart to
them its peculiar flavour.
"Half way down
Hangs one that gathers samphire-— dreadful trade ! *
SHAKSPEARE, King Lear.
Our -district is deservedly celebrated for its Lavender (Lavetidula
spica, fig. 194) fields, which are so beautiful when in flower as to be
well worth the trouble of any lover of plants to visit from a considerable
distance. The peculiar effect of myriads of heads of lavender in flower
128 MY GARDEN.
can hardly be realized without being seen. The plant yields an essen-
tial oil, largely used in perfumery, and a considerable proportion of
that which is made in England is obtained from plants grown in our
locality. The flowers are gathered and distilled. The variety em-
ployed is propagated by division in spring. It yields some produce
the first year, it is in its prime the second year, and is generally
FIG. 194. — Lavender.
FIG. 195. -Rosemary. FlG" ^.-Tobacco.
destroyed the third year, as it is apt to die in winter. It requires con-
tinual change of ground, but is reported to be a most profitable crop.
" Here's flowers for you :
Hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram ;
The marigold, that goes to bed with the sun,
And with him rises weeping : these are flowers
Of middle summer, and, I think, they are given
To men of middle age."— SHAKSPEARE, Winter's Tale.
We also grow a Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis, fig. 195) plant, which
has a fine volatile oil, and is said to give the particular flavour to
Narbonne honey, as the plants abound in that district, and the bees
collect the honey from their flowers.
"There's rosemary : that's for remembrance." — SHAKSPEARE.
We grow a plant or two of Tobacco (Nicotiana, fig. 196), rather as
a handsome ornamental plant than for any use.
In most years Basil (Ocyrnum basilicitm, fig. 197) is grown in my
garden. It is raised from seed in heat, and planted out. It is cut in
HERBS AND AROMATIC PLANTS.
129
summer, and dried for winter use. It is particularly said to be the right
herb to flavour turtle soup.
We grow both the winter and summer Savory. Winter Savory
'Saturcia montana] is a perennial, and is propagated by cuttings. Sum-
FIG. 198. — Summer Savory.
FIG. 199.— Common Marjoram.
FIG. 197. — Sweet Basil.
mer Savory (Satureia Iwrtensis, fig. 198) is sown in April. Both kinds
may be used green, and should be cut and dried for winter use when
the flower is about to expand.
Marjoram (Origanum, fig. 199) is another herb much used in cookery.
It is propagated by division. Knotted Marjoram (Origanum Majorana,
fig. 200) is in this country an annual, and requires the seed to be
sown every spring.
We grow Tarragon (Artemisia Dracunculus, fig. 201), as the
aromatic leaves are used to flavour soups, and also to make tarragon
FIG. 200. — Knotted Marjoram.
Fir,. 201. — Tarragon.
IMG. 200. — Knotted .Marjoram.
vinegar. It is a perennial plant, propagated by division,
stand well the cold of our winters, and therefore a new pk
should be made every spring.
K
1 3o MY GARDEN.
There are various plants which are grown in nearly every garden,
which are, nevertheless, of but little use. Rue (Ruta graveolens, fig. 202)
s one of these. It is said to be an aero-narcotic poison in quantity, but
is never used in medicine, and I do not know that any medical man has
prescribed it with any good effect. It is easily propagated by cuttings.
Shakspeare speaks of rue on several occasions : —
" I'll set a bank of rue, sour herb of grace."
" For you there's rosemary and rue : these keep
Seeming and savour all the winter long."
SHAKSPEARE, Winter's Talc.
hamomile (Anthcmis nobilis, fig. 203) is a plant which has been used for
a long period. It is grown by the acre around us, and the flowers are
gathered to be sold by the herbalists. It is a perennial, and we grow a
plant or two. Pereira considered it to be a useful stomachic and tonic ;
he further states that flannel bags filled with the flowers and soaked
n hot water are useful topical agents. It is doubtful whether the
flowers add to the benefit of the hot water.
We have a plant of Hyssop (Hyssopns officinalis, fig. 204). It is
said to be occasionally used in cookery, and sometimes in medicine ;
FIG. 204 —Hyssop. FIG. 205.— Horehoi-nd.
but I believe that it is equally unimportant for either purpose. The
plant may be propagated by division.
Horehound (Marrubium vulgare, fig. 205) is grown with us. It is
a popular remedy for a cough, but is seldom or ever ordered by the
doctor. It is sold in the shops in a candied state, and is used as a
HERBS AND AROMATIC PLANTS.
domestic medicine by persons suffering from chronic pulmonary
affections.
Parsley (Petroselinum sativumrh%. 206) is a plant of large consump-'
tion in a family. It was formerly used for garlands, and Virgil says :
"Apium igitur inter coronarias herbas memorandum est."
A bed of considerable size is required. Probably its chief use is for
garnishing, and then curled leaves are most appreciated. It is also used
for cooking, when the single-leaved variety is preferred ; but Thomp-
son has pointed out that by using only the curled leaves all danger of
mistaking the fool's parsley (a poisonous plant) for it may be avoided.
The seed is sown in the end of February, and it runs to seed the
following year. There are many fine varieties, but I have generally
Fir,. 206.— Parsley.
F:IG. 208.— Fennel.
FIG. 207.— Chervil.
used Myatt's garnishing. In winter sometimes the demand is great
and the supply very small, and therefore it is well to cover some
plants for winter use with hand-lights. Parsley was mentioned also
by Horace as used for garlands : —
"Est in horto,
Phylli, nectendis apium coronis." — HORACE, ii. 367.
Pliny says that it is considered that parsley prevents persons from
becoming drunk, and that it confers a good odour upon the body: —
" Apium ; hoc arceri ebrietatem, bonumque corpori odorem conferre
aiunt." (Pliny, book xix. chap. 8.)
K 2
132
MY GARDEN.
Chervil (Anthriscus Cere folium, fig. 207) is another plant of the same
nature as parsley. The leaves are valuable to add to salads, or to
flavour soups. The seed does not keep well, and therefore should be
sown as soon as ripe. It likes a moist, shady situation. With me it
does not give much trouble, as it comes up annually in the same place.
If not sown as the seed falls, it may be sown at the same time as
parsley, and the seed should be but lightly covered with earth. Only a
small patch is required.
Some persons like Fennel (Anethum fceniculum, fig. 208) sauce to be
served with mackerel, but others think its flavour is very disagreeable.
The seed is sown in March and covered lightly with earth, and the
leaves only are used in cookery. A variety of fennel, growing near
Naples (fig. 209), has noble leaves, and is very beautiful ; it stands
FIG. 210. — Chilis.
FIG. aog. — Barr's Fennel.
out in classical situations with great effect. It has a kind of bulbous
root, which is blanched, and it is eaten like sea-kale or stewed celery.
Although I have tried it several times at Naples, the fennel flavour
was always disagreeable to me, and it is very inferior to our sea-
kale. The figure is from a fine variety which Mr. Barr showed at
the Horticultural Society, with leaves of the greatest beauty.
We grow several of the hot Chilis and Capsicums. The Chili
(Capsicum annuum, fig. 210) is especially valuable, as when we obtain a
good crop we make our own Cayenne pepper by beating the dry chilis
HERBS AND AROMATIC PLANTS. 133
in a pestle and mortar with a little salt. This is far superior to anything
which can be obtained at the shops; and it should therefore always
be grown in first-rate gardens. Chili vinegar is also made from them.
The cherry capsicum is a very beautiful plant, and very useful to add
to pickles. There is one fruit of this tribe of plants, the Solanum
antliropopliagonim (fig. 211), which is used by savages to promote
the digestibility of human flesh.
I have often grown the Ginger plant (Zingiber officinale, fig. 2 [2),
but, as it is not a gaudy plant, somehow or other it is rarely kept
till the second year. The root when dried is used for medicine and
cookery, and when green is preserved with sugar. The stems are
annual, and die down in autumn. For preserving, the roots are
preferable when not too woody or too strongly filled with the ginger
principle : it has occurred to me, that it might be possible to grow it
here, for that purpose, during the summer season. I have never tried
it, but certainly shall on the first opportunity. In the fernery or
cucumber-house it grows with the greatest facility, and puts forth an
abundance of its creeping rhizomes, so that there would be no
difficulty for any person to grow his own ginger.
FIG. iii. — l ''lanum anthropo-
phagon:m.
We are particular about our Tomatoes (Lycopersicum esailciititm,
fig. 213), which we grow in cold frames. They should be raised from
seed in February, and planted in the cold frames as soon as room can
be spared. A three-light frame will yield a large produce of fruit,
which is far superior in flavour to that imported from abroad, or to
134
MY GARDEN.
that grown against walls in this country. There are many varieties,
but I prefer, from trials which I have made, the large red sort. Tomato
plants may be propagated by cuttings as well as from seed. The fruit
ripens in August, September, and October, and makes excellent sauce
for winter use. It is a capital vegetal when boiled, and a delicious
salad when cut in slices, flavoured with shallot, and eaten with vinegar
and pepper. Abroad it is used as a fruit, but it is not so employed
in this country.
Horse-radish (Cochlearia Armoracea, fig. 214) is a condimental vegetal,
the root of which, when scraped or made into sauce, is invariably
used in England with roast beef. To grow it fine we require rich,
FIG. 216. — Absinthe.
FIG. 215.— Aconite.
deeply trenched ground. The crowns are
planted about a foot below the surface,
and they form the stalks which are used.
The root of the Aconitum Napellus has
been mistaken for it with fatal results, for
this latter plant is most highly poisonous. I have figured it (fig.
215); but I strongly recommend it to be eradicated from ordinary
gardens.
Absinthe (Artemisia absinthium^ fig, 216) is now much used by the
FIG. 214. — Horse-radish, ^ diam.
RHUBARB.
'35
French. Dr. Gros, in a letter to myself, states that on the Boule-
vards of Paris, between four and six o'clock, glasses of absinthe are
to be seen on every coffee-house table and at all wine-merchants. The
workpeople frequently take absinthe. They make what they call Ics
tonrnces, each one wishing in his turn to treat his comrades. The middle
class and the army drink it more frequently mixed with water, though
the latter do not object to it pure, and the Parisian alcohol drinkers take
absinthe as a rule. Physiological experiments show that in small doses
absinthe causes giddiness, and epilepsy in larger. The mischief which
is now being done by this plant is incalculable, and I grow the plant
to point it out to my English friends, that they may never use so hurtful
a drug in this country.
Within this century Rhubarb (Rheum, fig. 217) has been introduced
as a substitute for fruit when it is scarce. It is a thoroughly English
plant, and very few foreigners have ever seen or heard of it. It is in use
from Christmas till May, when gooseberries come in, but it may be used
later, and for preserving purposes it is
better gathered in July and August. It
is a delicious vegetal in a tart, but it
owes its flavour to oxalic acid, which,
although grateful to the palate, is not
digestible. The acid exists in the plant
as superoxalate of potash, and may be
seen in the cells of the plant (fig. 218)
by the aid of the microscope. The plant
may be propagated by seed, but then
either a good or a bad variety may be
obtained. For this reason it is generally
propagated by division of the root from FlG 2l8_Raph:desofRhubarl,
some approved variety.
The plant is grown for the stems of its leaves, and the first crop is
i36
MY GARDEN.
obtained by taking up one or two large roots about the third week
in November and placing them in the cucumber-house or cutting-house
for use at Christmas. My gardener has forced it by placing a few roots
in one of our warm springs and there covering them with a matting.
The next crop is obtained by covering the crown with straw, and the
last crop comes spontaneously in the open air. Rhubarb is much used
in London for wine to be drunk as champagne at balls. It is however
not wholesome, and frequently disagrees with the stomach. Persons
should always be on their guard against rhubarb, and should not take
it if experience shows that it disagrees. It is much more wholesome
when young and forced, than when gathered in the open air later in
the season, as the oxalic acid is then not so largely developed. We
<jr3\v the Linnaeus and the Victoria varieties.
CHAPTER IX.
MY FRUIT GARDEN.
u And many homely trees there were,
That peaches, coines, and apples here,
Mcdlers, plummes, peeres, chesteinis,
Cherise, of whiche many one faine is." — CHAUCER.
WE are naturally led from the vegetal rhubarb, which under
certain circumstances is so useful a substitute for fruit, to
the consideration of our fruit garden itself.
Although in this country we do not practically grow to any large
extent the oranges and lemons of the South of Europe, the delicious
custard apple of Madeira, the date of Syria, the penetrating-flavoured
vanilla of the West Indies, the lychia of China, or the banana of the
Tropics ; yet taking England on the whole, there is no country in
the world where the amount and variety of fine fruit are to be found
in such perfection as we have them in the gentleman's garden of
England, — with his greenhouses and ordinary horticultural appliances.
TIIK AIT1.K.
Of all our fruits, the Apple is perhaps the most useful, and is
appreciated by birds and beasts as well as by man. My bullfinch loves
his slice of apple, my horse thanks me by many little signs for the
gift of an apple, and my cows delight to be offered one. The
pigs, the chickens, the geese, all run to seize the windfalls as they
drop, and sometimes get into the trees to procure the fruit.
138 MY GARDEN.
There are numerous varieties of apples. There is scarcely such
a thing as a totally bad apple unfit for any purpose. We grow in
my garden more than three hundred varieties, a number far beyond
what is required for ordinary purposes, and necessary only for expe-
rience and study. All these numerous kinds of apples are varieties
of one species, the Pyrus Mains. They are in fact varieties con-
fined within the limits of variation of one species. With all these
numerous varieties, of which at least fifteen hundred have been cata-
logued, and perhaps many times that number remain unnamed, no
new species have been formed. In some cases size has been deve-
loped, as in those of Lord Derby and Gloria Mundi ; and in other
instances ether is formed, as in the case of the Ribston Pippin or
Nonpareil. There is also a variation in the colour of the skin, as in
the skin of Lord Derby, which is green ; or in that of the Scarlet Non-
pareil, which is scarlet. Again, the texture varies, that of the Norfolk
Biffin being very hard and solid, that of the Newtown Pippin being
soft and delicate. Then there is a variety in the specific gravity of
the juice, of which the extremest limit known in density reaches a
specific gravity of 1091. Now it is worthy of note that although
thousands upon thousands of seedlings from all these varieties have
been under observation, yet all the varieties have been within a
certain limit of variation, and never have attained to the rank of a
new species.
Apples which are fine in texture and rich in flavour are selected
for the purposes of the table, of which the Irish Peach, the Ribston
Pippin, and the Golden Harvey are notable examples. Apples which
under the action of heat form a soft pulp and have a rich flavour are
chosen for culinary purposes, of which Cellini Pippin, Lord Suffield,
Blenheim Orange, and Dumelow's Seedling are good examples.
There is yet a third class, which is used for cider, and which is
selected for the high specific gravity of the expressed juice ; — as the
denser the juice the better the cider. Some of the worst and some
of the choicest eating apples make fine cider ; but it is the practice to
mix many kinds together.
THE APPLE. 139
In France apples are peeled and dried, when they are exported
to England under the name of Normandy pippins ; these when
soaked and cooked make a delicious dish for early spring, when fruit
is scarce, and one which is far more wholesome than rhubarb, which
is so much used in this country.
In Switzerland vast quantities of apples are grown; nevertheless
the inhabitants are so frugal that they cut the sound portions from
the windfalls in slices, and suspend them from a thread till they
are dry, when they can be kept till winter ; a practice which may well
be imitated by our country people.
Varieties of apples are obtained by sowing pips of the best kinds.
The pips are sown in drills, but they must be protected from the
mice. Very few of the trees which grow from the seeds give apples
positively bad and of no use, nevertheless not one in a thousand is
superior to those varieties which have preceded them. It must be
confessed that most of our fine apples have had an accidental origin,
and have been discovered by observation. I have myself raised many
seedlings, some of them of much promise, but certainly none up to this
time superior to those in ordinary use.
When we have a tree of a variety which we appreciate, it may be
multiplied by layering when we obtain the same kind on its own root.
The same variety may be also propagated by grafting, when we
obtain the same kind on a different stock.
" The mother plant admires the leaves unknown
Of alien trees, and apples not her own."— DRYDEN, Georgics.
Apples are grafted on the common seedling apple stock, or on
the Paradise stock. The first stock I use for large trees and
standards, the latter for small bushes. The immense superiority
of the Paradise stock for small trees to ensure early bearing, may be
learnt from an experiment which I made some years ago of two trees of
the Juneating apple. One was grafted on the common stock, the other
on the Paradise stock, and both were planted side by side. The one
grafted on the Paradise stock has since that time yielded me annually
GAXDEN.
a crop : whilst the one grafted on the common stock, although a much
larger tree, has not, up to the present time, yielded me a dozen apples
altogether. There is an immeasurable difference between the produce
of the Paradise and grafted seedling apple-trees during the early
part of their existence, though for permanent plantations the apple-
worked stock should be exclusively employed. My apple-trees worked
on Paradise stocks are grown as hollow bowls, a form which is more con-
genial to the natural growth of the apple than the pyramidal form. My
apple bowls are sometimes literally covered with fine fruit. Each
apple gets an abundant supply of light and air, is finely coloured,
and has good flavour. When, however, we allow a tree to overbear,
it is crippled, and it will not bear again for one or two years till it
has recovered. My hollow bowl apple-trees are slightly pruned in
summer, and are cut as much as possible to one pattern in winter.
In practice it is a bad plan to mix trees worked on Paradise stocks
with trees worked on the common apple stock, as apples on the
latter grow far more rapidly than those on the former : hence it is
difficult, if not impossible, to have a plantation of the mixed trees
of uniform size and shape. Sometimes there are kinds which grow
too strongly on the Paradise stocks, yet upon the whole they can be
grown tolerably uniform, and should always be employed in gardens.
Occasionally I have had recourse to the practice of inarching (fig. 118),
with perfect success, and then, as by grafting, a particular kind of apple
is propagated on a stock of another variety. It is only required
under very special circumstances, and may be entirely superseded
by the process of grafting. The proper time for planting apple-
trees is the interval between October and March. When the trees
can be lifted and immediately replanted, the middle of October is
a very good time. If the trees have to be sent from a distance, the
middle or end of November is the best of all times ; but if the roots
have been cut in the month of October, any time between October
and March will be satisfactory.
The pruning of apple-trees is simple. Standards need only have
their cross boughs cut out ; a Herefordshire magistrate, however, who
THE APPLE.
141
had large orchards, told me that the fruit was improved in quality
by thinning the boughs to let the light and air to the branches. The
hollow bowls on Paradise stocks require scarcely any pruning ; but exu-
berant shoots should be plucked in midsummer and cut out in winter.
In some seasons, — and in some seasons only, — my apple-trees have
been affected with a blasting of the leaves. The disease appears with
a south-west wind, and especially when the winds blow strong and
cold, as they often do when the leaves are young and tender in
early summer. This disease especially attacks the Siberian Crab.
We have found the best remedy is to lift the trees and give them
some good top spit loam. An attack of this disease is damaging to
the tree not only in the season of the attack, but also to the
following crop. (See Fungi.)
Our apple-trees are growing in three forms. Some, as standards
(fig. 219), have a straight stock six feet high, on which the desired
FIG. 220.— Hollow Bowl Apple-bush
FIG. 219 —Standard Apple.
kind is grafted and spreads out with branches. Standards are generally
grown in paddocks, and therefore ought to be so high that a horse or
cow cannot reach the fruit. In our garden we generally grow them
as bushes, or rather as hollow bowls (fig. 220). There is a third mode
of training which is also useful in a garden, — the espalier (fig. 221),
which occupies but little room. When air and light can act upon
every branch, an espalier grows very fine fruit. Upon the whole, I
greatly prefer the bush worked upon the Paradise stock wherever (as
142
MY GARDEN.
in my garden) many trees are grown upon a small extent of ground.
The French sometimes train a single stem close to the ground on a
FIG. 221. — Apple Espalier.
FIG. 222. — Cordon Apple.
wire (fig. 222). I have tried the plan, but must regard it on the
whole as an idle vanity, unworthy of scientific horticulture.
A few of my apples are grown in pots, such as the Newtown Pippin,
the Northern Spy, and the Melon apples, which are from America.
The Mala Gala, an Italian apple, requires pot culture ; and there is a
French apple called the Reinette Ananas, which, when cultivated
in pots, is exceedingly beautiful. Its form, size, and transparent
colour are so lovely that it resembles the plum rather than the apple.
A little tree covered with its lovely fruit in the orchard-house is a
most interesting sight.
Other apples grown in pots are the Empress Eugenie, fig. 223
(which seems to be a most beautiful and excellent
kind, although I have hardly had sufficient experience
to recommend it for general cultivation), Court-pendu,
Duvesne, Perle d'Angleterre, Reinette Petite Grise,
and Reinette de Madeira.
We have generally forced the Early Juneating in
a pot, and many times it has been shown as the
first apple of the season, both at the Horticultural and Botanical
Societies, at the end of May. The visitors have been amused and
astonished, but the editors of the gardening newspapers have properly
asked, " Cui bono ? " To their inquiries I reply that it is an idle,
useless vanity, but many vanities which pass for pleasures are more
stupid. There is neither a secret nor a difficulty in obtaining "the
first apples of the season." A tree of the White Juneating is potted
1 All 6gurcs of apples arc drawn one-third of their diameter.
FIG. 223. — Empres
Eugenie.1
THE A
'43
in good top spit loam. The tree, when it has been in the pot for a
year, is placed in a greenhouse in the middle of December. It then
flowers in February, and its fruit ripens in May. To ensure success
liquid manure should be given when the flower expands, again when
the pips are forming, and lastly when the fruit is about to ripen.
Simple as all this looks, I cannot every year get the first apples of
the season, as much attention is required to ensure perfect success.
In autumn, the fruit should be gathered when the apples come
readily from the tree ; and, as a matter of experience, to prevent
future shrivelling, apples should be left on the tree as late as they will
hang without dropping. I have observed that apples which readily
and prematurely drop, and which are usually called windfalls, are really
imperfect themselves, and have no pips, except indeed those which,
from the force of the wind, have been blown off with the adherent shoot.
When the apples are gathered, they should be kept in the dark at
a low temperature, with a slight current of air through the room.
All the apples should be placed on shelves, as far apart as is con-
venient. If they are placed on straw, an unpleasant flavour is trans-
mitted to the fruit ; and if they are absolutely frozen, the texture of
the fruit is destroyed. It is a good plan thoroughly to destroy fungus
by sulphur fumes before apples are housed in any room for the
winter, and then several kinds will last till new apples are produced.
Fungus in apples imparts to them a most disagreeable taste, and of
the two evils it is certainly better for them to shrivel than to remain
plump and be full to the core with fungus growth. The one great
test of a wrell-kept apple is an absence of fungus, and this is best
secured by burning once or twice a week in the apple-room a piece of
sulphur as big as a pea on a red-hot coal. This we always practise now.
It has already been stated that my collection of apples comprises
nearly three hundred varieties. It is neither advisable nor expedient,
however, to have so many kinds ; but it is important to have both
dessert and kitchen apples for every day in the year.
Every garden ought to have at least thirty kinds of dessert apples,
so as to command a variety of flavour and a constant succession. The
144
MY GARDEN.
early apples are only required to last a few days, and therefore a
bush will suffice ; the later apples are required to last over months,
and for these large trees should be grown.
The first dessert apple which ripens in July is the White Juneating
(fig. 224). It is small, but it is always welcomed as the first apple of the
season. Following it quickly in succession is the Red Juneating or early
Red Margaret, which has red stripes on the side exposed to the sun ; it
is delicious, but lasts only a few days. The Early Strawberry (fig. 225)
follows this in turn, but it is always a small apple. Again, there is
FIG. 224.— Juneating. FIG. 2,5. — Early Strawber-y FIG. 226. — Irish Peach.
Apple.
FIG. 2 7.— Re. no Jaime
Hative.
an apple ripening about the middle of August which is elegant in form,
beautiful in colour, and excellent to the taste, the Irish Peach (fig.
226), which is the chief apple for a time, and gives way to one little
known in this country, but which ought to be more cultivated, — Reine
Jaune Hative (fig. 227). I have grown it in pots with great success,
v „ ,-. FIG. 220. — Kerry Pipp'.n. FIG. 2^0. — Bsnoni.
FIG 228. -Quarrenden
Aptle. FlG. 23i.-(;nivenste'n.
and am now cultivating it as a bush on the Paradise stock. Abou
the same time comes in the Red Astrachan, and also the Devonshire
Quarrenden (fig. 228). The latter is a great bearer, and its bright red
colour on the side towards the sun makes it a great favourite as a market
apple. At this season the Benoni (fig. 229) ripens ; its odour is ex-
ceedingly fine and its appearance beautiful. It is an apple little
known, but deserves general growth.
/•///•; APPLE. ,45
September comes, and brings with it the Kerry Pippin (fig. 230),
which has a semi-transparent skin and a yellowish flesh, and also a
, fine flavour. The Kerry Pippin is succeeded by Gravenstcin (fig. 231),
which is another delicious apple for the season: towards the end of
the month the Ribston Pippin, King of the Pippins,
and Pitmaston Pineapple Pippin give us their
delicious fruit. The Ribston (fig. 232) is one of
the finest of all apples, and may be kept, if well
ripened, till the following June : it has a peculiar
flavour, due to an ether, which modern chemistry l
lias been able to make in the laboratory. Every garden should have
one or t\vo large standard trees of this variety, as it is capricious in
its bearing. The tree likes to grow in rich deep loam : I have tried
it on its own roots, but this plan appears to have no advantage.
The King of the Pippins (fig. 233) is a great
bearer, though it is an inferior apple : never-
theless a garden should have one tree of this
variety. The Pitmaston Pineapple is little known,
but I have found it second to none in culti-
vation. It is not too large, is very sugary and
highly flavoured, and is one of the best of all
apples. With me it frequently bears prodigiously ; but, when it does
so, I obtain no crop the next year. No garden should be without
this apple, but I was unable this year to procure any specimen from
which to give an illustration, although I sent to every probable
source.
From the middle of October till the middle of November the Rib-
ston alone should be used. December gives us the Cornish Gilliflower,
one of the finest of all apples (fig. 234). It has a yellowish flesh,
and its flavour is most delicious ; but the tree is so indifferent a
bearer near London, that we can never depend upon a crop, although
I have at least half-a-dozen trees. The mode of growth of this tree
is peculiar, as it throws out long slim branches, and frequently it
bears at the ends of the branches. It does not bear priming, and
J,
146
MY GARDEN.
ought to be allowed to grow freely. Then the Melon Apple (fig.1
235) comes into use, a fruit of delicate texture from America,
FIG. 234.— Cornish
Gilliflower.
FIG. 235.— Melon
Apple.
FIG. 236. — Cox's Orange
Pippin.
FIG. 237.— Golden
Pippin.
together with Cox's Orange Pippin (fig. 236), an apple of the highest
quality, which should be grown in quantity, and the little Golden
Pippin (fig. 237) of ancient celebrity. Horticulturists speak of this
apple as a fruit of the past, but in my garden it fruits freely on small
FIG. 238.— Court or FIG. 239. — Coe's Golden FIG. 240. — Court-pendu FIG. 241. — Mannington's
Wick. Drop. Plat. Pearmain.
trees worked on the Paradise stock. The latter part of December
adds to our list the Court of Wick Pippin (fig. 238), Coe's Golden
Drop (fig. 239), and Court-pendu Plat (fig. 240),— all valuable for
their property of keeping till spring.
About this time we have Mannington's Pearmain (fig. 241), which
is a very fine apple ; and the Northern Spy (fig. 242), which has the
FIG 242. — Northern Spy. FIG. 243. — American Newtovvn FIG. 244. — Reinette 01 FIG. 245. — Golden
Pippin. Canada. Harvey.
delicate texture of other American apples. This apple attains to
great perfection and beauty in the orchard-house.
.The Newtown Pippin (fig. 243) has not done well with me. When
THE
147
/ grown in America the fruit has an incomparable etherial flavour, which
I it never obtains in this climate. This apple is remarkable for having
/ black spots in the skin.
January produces the large Reinette du Canada (fig. 244), which
{; is generally a good bearer, and gives a large fine apple with excellent
flavour. The Golden Harvey (fig. 245),— a small apple,— ripens about
FIG. 246.
Early Nonpareil.
FIG. 247.
Old Nonpareil.
FIG. 248.
Braddick's Nonpareil.
FIG. 249. — ccrevtton
G;»ldin Pippin.
this time. The various Nonpareils, such as the Early Nonpareil
(fig. 246), which is a good bearer, are now fit for use. The Old
Nonpareil (fig. 247) is a very fine apple, below medium size, and
Braddick's Nonpareil (fig. 248) is also an apple of high excellence.
The Scarlet Nonpareil is another apple of great beauty and of high
quality, which should always be grown.
Screveton's Golden Pippin (fig. 249) is a capital little apple for
spring use. Adams' Pearmain (fig. 250) is another fine apple, well
deserving of cultivation, and the Boston Russet (fig. 251) is a late
apple of high excellence.
We also grow, on bush trees, the Reinette Ananas (fig. 252), for
its extreme beauty of form and transparent skin, which renders it an
FIG. 25o.-Adams' Pear-
mam. FIG. 251.— Boston Russet. FIG. 252.- Reinette Ananas.
FIG. 253.-!.
ornament to the dinner-table. They are not so beautiful when grown
out of doors as when grown in pots in the orchard-house.
1 48 MY GARDEN.
In February and March we have, besides, the Duke of Devonshire
(fig. 253), a new apple, hardly as yet come into extensive cultivation,
but one which is manifestly an important late apple of high flavour.
In April and May good apples are scarce, nevertheless the
Sturmer Pippin (fig. 254) is still in
great perfection ; it keeps perfectly till
June, and is a thoroughly good apple.
Lastly, that too generally forgotten but
admirable apple, Ord's Apple (ficr. 255),
FIG. 254.- Stunner FIG. 255.— Ord's
carries on our dessert fruit till straw-
berries appear. Mr. Thompson highly commended this apple ; Mr.
Barron recommends it, and yet it is rarely to be obtained at any
nursery-ground. I have ordered it several times, and have had an
apple-tree of another kind sent to me (an unpardonable offence,
always to be severely censured). The Horticultural Society can
supply grafts, and Mr. Lee of Hammersmith has trees for disposal.
It is very desirable to promote an extensive cultivation of this variety,
which, however, has the demerit of possessing neither beauty of form
nor brightness of colour to recommend it.
Out of my extensive collection, I cannot recommend more than
the above for universal cultivation ; but no garden should be without
all or the greater part of those which I have described.
The apples which should be cultivated in quantities are the
Devonshire Quarrenden, Ribston Pippin, Pitmaston Pineapple, Cox's
Orange Pippin, Braddick's Nonpareil, Old Nonpareil, Pearson's Plate,
Reinette du Canada, and Ord's Apple.
All the apples, from the Ribston Pippin downwards, may be
kept with care till June, and therefore I have recorded the period of
ripening somewhat in the order in which the above-described kinds
have been fit for use with us ; but the time over which they may be
made to last will depend upon the care taken in their conservation,
as I have tasted most of the kinds, from the Ribston downwards,
in the month of May, and sometimes even in June.
Other dessert apples which are cultivated in my garden, are the
THE APPLE. 149
,
Astrachan, which is a handsome good apple, ripening in August ; Ash-
f mead's Kernel, a fine Gloucester apple, which ripens in November;
i Bess Pool ; Cockle Pippin, a handsome apple, and a favourite with
some persons ; Early Harvest, Summer Golden Pippin, and Early
Julien, — all ripening in August, but not required with those I have
recommended ; Forfar Pippin, ripening in March, Hughes' Golden
Pippin, Franklin's Golden Pippin, Pitmaston's Golden Pippin, Small's
Golden Pippin, — all late keepers ; Keddleston Pippin, highly commended ;
Margil, a good apple ; Pitmaston Russet Nonpareil, Claygate, Bax-
ter's, Grange's, Hubbard's, Herefordshire, and Lamb Abbey Pearmains,
— none of them presenting any very remarkable features ; Prince
Albert and Victoria, — neither found as good as reputed ; Reinette
Van Mons, upon which a decided opinion has not as yet been
formed ; Spring Ribston, Pineapple Russet and Sykehouse Russet,
Sam Young, St. Sauveur and Golden Knob, Wyken Pippin and
Webb's Russet, — all of which have more or less merit. Williams'
Favourite appears to be a fine apple. The Russian apples Cardinal,
Duke Constantine, Count OrlofT, and Holcar Pippin have not yet
borne fruit. The American apples the Mother Apple and McClellan
are interesting, but these American apples, as already mentioned in the
case of the Newtown Pippin, when grown in this country are destitute
of that high etherial flavour which they attain in their native habitats.
We also grow Allen's Everlasting and Ulmer's Golden Reinette, both
of which are very late apples and keep well. We have also many
other kinds, which I have not thought it necessary to describe.
My experience shows that it is not necessary to grow any large
number of varieties of kitchen apples, though, as they are in request
for at least nine months out of the twelve, an abundance of fruit
should be stored for winter use.
The following list will probably suffice : —
Keswick Codlin. New Havythornden. Stirling Castle.
Lord Suffield. Lord Derby. Gooseberry Pippin.
Alexander. Warner's King. Wellington.
Cellini Pippin. Blenheim Orange. French Crab.
Hawthornclcn. Uoria Muncli. Siberian Crab.
150
MY GARDEN.
The Keswick Codlin (fig. 256) gives, when boiled or baked, a delicious
pulp, which has a flavour peculiar to itself and most agreeable. It is
one of our early cooking apples, and is immediately succeeded by
Lord Suffield (fig. 257), which attains a large size and is valuable
FIG. 256. — Keswick Codlin.
FIG. 257. — Lord Suffield.
FIG. 258. — Emperor Alexander.
for baking ; it is also an abundant bearer, and no garden can
possibly dispense with it ; it lasts till the end of November. Follow-
ing this, the Alexander or Emperor Alexander (fig. 258) is a hand-
some apple, which does not, however, bear well in my garden.
Fi<;. 259. — Cellini Pippin.
FIG. 260.
Hawthornden, No. i.
FIG. 261. — New Hawthornden, No. 2.
The Cellini Pippin (fig. 259) is acid, and makes excellent apple sauce.
A peculiarity of this valuable fruit is that, in addition to the
fruitfulness of the trees, the apples are really good when cooked,
although only three-parts grown, and thus an overladen tree may be
thinned without any loss of fruit. When the
tree is laden with its brightly streaked fruit, it
is perfectly beautiful. The Hawthornden (fig.
260) is also a great bearer and a good cook-
ing apple,- but the fruit does not keep long.
This is followed by the New Hawthornden
FIG. 262.-Lord Derby. (fig. 261), also a. good apple. Lord Derby (fig.
262) is an apple which attains great perfection in my garden. I pro-
THE APPLE.
'5'
- cured it from Yorkshire, and it has generally commanded the
{ first prize for size at the great Horticultural shows. In its peculiar
dark green colour and form it differs from most other apples.
Warner's King (fig. 263) is another fine large apple, differing much
|H^^^^^^^^_, FIG. 265. — Stirling; Castle.
FIG. 263. — Warner's King.
FIG. 264. — Gloria Mundi.
in form from the others described. Gloria Mundi (fig. 264) is another
apple of enormous dimensions, measuring sometimes as much as
fourteen inches round. The Stirling Castle (fig. 265) is reputed to
be a fine apple : I have only lately had a tree, and so cannot speak
FIG. 266.— Winter Peach.
FIG. 267. — Blenheim Orange.
FIG. 268 — Gooseberry.
decidedly of its merits. The Winter Peach is a valuable late keeping
apple (fig. 266). For winter use there is no better apple than the
Blenheim Orange (fig. 267). It is so good that it is considered by
many persons to be a dessert fruit. Two or three
trees may be beneficially grown of this kind. For
late spring use the Gooseberry Pippin (fig. 268) is
recommended ; it is valuable from its acidity and
from its keeping qualities. Perhaps, however, the
best of the late apples is the Wellington (fig. 269), F,G. 269. - Wellington.
which keeps fairly till summer, and more than one tree should be
cultivated of this kind.
GARDEN.
The Winter Greening will keep till the second year; and the1
French Crab (fig. 270), which we also cultivate, keeps •
for two years.
It is indeed a glorious sight to look at our apple
bushes in full flower in the month of May ; but as the
FIG. 270. -French Crab, performance is to the promise, so is the display of
the fruit in autumn to the blossom of spring.
"And them amongst, some were of burnish'd Gold,
So made by Art, to beautify the rest,
Which did themselves amongst the Leaves enfold,
As lurking from the view of covetous Guest,
That the weak Boughs, with so rich load opprcss'd,
Did bow adown, as over-burden'd." — SPENSER, Fairy Queen-
Besides apple-trees, the Siberian Crab (Pynts prunifolia, fig. 271)
is a tree of surpassing beauty, first when in blossom in the spring,
and a second time when in fruit in the late summer. It is so
great an ornament in the garden that I have at
least a dozen trees, and, in favourable seasons, the
produce is large, which I distribute amongst my
friends ; telling them not to despise so small an
apple, but to be thankful for the gift, which they
FIG. 271.— Siberian Crab.
ought to preserve for winter use as "one of their
most delicious conserves. The Scarlet Crab is even more hand-
some, but it is not so well flavoured. The American Crab is larger
and not so beautiful, but good for apple jelly. Both of these latter
should be grown in shrubberies, where fruitless trees would otherwise
take their place.
" Tall thriving trees confess'd the fruitful mold,
The redd'ning apple ripens here to gold." — POPE'S Od.
Cider apples are not grown with us, and the cider which is used
is procured from Stephens of Gloucester, who has favoured me with
the particulars of its manufacture on a large scale. It is supposed
that apples yielding the densest juice make the finest cider, and
1
THE Arp/j-:. 153
•Thompson gives the specific gravity of the juices of various apples,
w\
sof which the following afford the highest ; I have not tried the
{experiment myself: —
Siberian Harvey . . . . 1,091
Siberian Bitter-Sweet . . 1,091
Golden Harvey .... 1.085
Fox Whelp 1,076
Downton Pippin .... 1,080
Golden Pippin 1,078
; Mr. Stephens states that practically they do not manufacture cider of
:>ne variety of apple, but that at the proper season the crop is shaken
from the trees, and not gathered. The apples are piled in heaps in
the open yard till ripe, and when ripe are carefully picked over for the
finest cider, and the rotten ones put aside. They are then put through
a mill, which is a kind of grater. The pulp and juice run into a large
slate tank, whence the pulp is transferred into hair bags under a
press, when the liquid is again received by a slate tank. Thence it is
transferred to a tub holding about i, coo gallons, where it ferments. It
is then strained through filtering bags, and kept in casks. If not bright
it is fined with isinglass. It is racked from one cask to another to stop
fermentation, and finally is bottled in March and April. In the best
cider no sugar whatever is used; in the cheaper some is added. In
Devonshire sulphur is used to stop fermentation, but Mr. Stephens has
not employed it. Probably, however, the judicious use of sulphur, as
in the wine countries, would do much to improve the quality of cider
by restraining the fermentation. Bottled cider should be kept upright
and in a cool place.
" The fragrant stores, the wide-projected heaps
Of apples, which the lusty-handed year,
Innumerous, o'er the blushing orchard shakes.
A various spirit, fresh, delicious, keen,
Dwells in the gelid pores ; and, active, po'.nts
The piercing cider for the thirsty tongue."
THOMSON'S ^
T54 MY GARDEN.
THE MEDLAR.
" You'll be rotten ere you be half ripe, and that's the right virtue of the medlar."
SHAKSPEARE, King Henry F,
Medlars are very ornamental trees. They have grand striking
flowers in spring. Their large leaves and curious crooked mode of
growth always render them beautiful, and the colour of the leaves) -Jr--
at their fall in autumn, is an additional attraction. Three kinds an -
grown at my garden, — the Dutch, Nottingham, and Royal.
^^n£\ The Nottingham (fig. 272) is generally the favourite, as
H yielding the best flavoured fruit. It is usual to graft
medlars on thorns. In my garden they do not fruit in wet
FIG. 272. —
soils, though, otherwise, they will perfectly succeed near
water. The fruit should be gathered when it easily separates from
the tree, and should be kept in a dry place to prevent fungi.
Thompson states that it is a good plan to dip the stalk in salt
and water to prevent fungus, but this plan has not been tried at
Wallington. Now, I keep my fruit room free from fungus by the
moderate and judicious use of the fumes of burning sulphur.
THE PEAR.
" Insere Daphni piros : carpent tua poma nepotes. "
VlRG. Buc., Eel. iv. 50.
The Pear must be regarded as a luxury of high order ; for although
it is not of such general utility as the apple, yet as a dessert fruit it
lasts over so long a period, and is so much esteemed, that when upon
the table it is almost invariably preferred to the apple and to many
other fruits. My collection consists of about two hundred and
thirty different varieties. The Pear (Pyrns communis) grows wild in
England ; in fact I see specimens of the wild pear in the hedgerows
between my garden and London. It is subject to many varieties, but
like the apple, though liable to differences within the limit of variation, it
has never been changed into a form which any naturalist could mistake
'/•///•: PEAR. 155
sor a new species. New varieties are obtained by sowing the pips of
sine kinds, and then selecting any of the produce which may happen to
hhow any desirable quality either as to its season of ripening, texture, or
flavour. Mr. Rivers is endeavouring to obtain new pears by crossing
varieties having particular qualities ; but time only can show whether
success will attend his efforts.
In many cases, it is very difficult to tell whether a real cross has
been maintained, and whether the pollen of one plant absolutely
fertilizes the blossom of another variety.
When a new variety has been obtained, it may be multiplied by
grafting, budding, or layering, the first plan being that most generally
in use.
It is much more difficult to procure a new and good kind of pear
than of apple or of many other kinds of fruits, for many conditions
are required to render it excellent. It must have a fine and distinct
etherial flavour. Its flesh must undergo a change in the process of
ripening which renders the pulp soft, and it ought not to rot with
facility. Even in the list of those reputed to be excellent, in bad
seasons and under disadvantageous circumstances some pears never
ripen at all, others rot, and some are totally devoid of their normal
and peculiar flavour.
Before any person plants a standard pear-tree, he should be well
assured of the qualities of the variety he plants, especially as the
pear-tree assumes the dimensions of a forest tree, and does not bear
till it has attained some magnitude. If a bad kind is selected, the
space is wasted for years, which is a serious matter.
Pomologists divide pears into three classes— perry pears, baking
pears, and dessert pears. As I grow no perry pears I shall dismiss
them, merely saying that they are unfit for a garden, but should be
grown as forest trees in fields, hedgerows, and orchards.
With respect to baking pears,— although all pears may be used
with more or less success for culinary purposes,— to my mind a large
pear, the Catillac (fig. 273), is the best ; and to have it in greatest
perfection it should be used as a compote dc poire, when on its bein-
MY (JAKD/CX.
FIG. 273. — Catillac.
cooked it assumes a beautiful red colour. Another enormous pear, j
the Bellissime d'Hiver or Uvedale's St. Germain >
(fig. 274), is used in the same way. This pear is ,
shown in the Palais Royal at Paris or at Covent
Garden in London, to attract customers ; and i
thirty shillings is sometimes demanded for a
single pear. When in its finest state, it is so
handsome that it may be used as an ornament
on the dinner table, and as it is not eatable in
an uncooked state a single dish will last the entire winter.
Dessert pears are in use from the middle of July till May; though
it must be admitted
that after January,
and sometimes after
Christmas, it is diffi-
cult to maintain a
supply in the highest
quality of excellence.
Although I grow
so many kinds of pears for the purpose of curiosity
and trial, — and those which are grown have been
selected for their reputed excellence, — yet there are
certain sorts upon which reliance must be placed for
the main crop.
The list that I recommend, consists of pears which ripen from
July till the middle of February. The first pear which ripens is
the Doyenne d'Ete (fig. 2/5), a small pear which is pleasant in flavour
and is in use in July, when the flavour of a pear is a novelty, and is
consequently appreciated. The Citron des Carmes (fig. 276) follows
closely upon it, and when in perfection is more excellent. It lasts,
however, but a few days. Following closely upon these, the Jargonelle
(fi«\ 277) ripens, with its piquant etherial odour which modern chemistry
has imitated in the oil of Jargonelle pear, an ether, however, which is
not extracted from pears but from fusel oil. The pear drops sold at the
FIG. 27-.,
Doyenne d'Ete.
FIG. 276.
Citron des Cannes.
FIG. 274. — UvecaU
St. Germain.
THE PEAR.
157
con-
I
s/hops are flavoured exclusively with this oil. Some authorities
slider that this pear was mentioned by Pliny, and was introduced
into this country by the Romans. It attains great perfection at
FIG. 278.— Beurrc
Giffard.
FIG 279.— Williams'
lion Chretien.
FIG. 277.— Jargonelle.
Rotherhithe and Deptford ; and I have tasted it, but not so good,
on the St. Gothard pass in Switzerland, This pear keeps but a few
days, and is succeeded by a modern pear called the Beurre Giffard
(fig. 278). It is exceedingly excellent in some years, but is so little in
cultivation that I have never as yet seen it in any other locality
than at my garden.
The Beurre Giffard is succeeded in September by that generally
well-known and largely cultivated favourite, Williams' Bon Chretien
(tig. 279), a noble full-sized pear, which requires to be kept a few
days after being gathered, to enable it to .attain the perfection of
texture and pleasant juicy flavour
which render it so great a favourite.
It is a great bearer, and should
always be grown.
Between the time of the perfec-
tion of Williams' Bon Chretien and
Louise Bonne, the Alexandra (fig. 280)
proves useful though it is hardly a
pear of the highest excellence. F|G 28°--Aiexandra. Louise Booaeofj«»ey.
When Williams' Bon Chretien has passed away in September,
Louise Bonne of Jersey (fig. 281) is gratefully received. This one,
i
158
MY GARDEN.
taking it all in all, is the perfection of a pear. Its excellence o
flavour, its hardiness, its constancy of bearing, its uniformity oj
ripening, with its beauty of form and colour, together with ifcl
texture and power of keeping a reasonable time, render it one of the
most desirable of fruits.
About this time Thompson's (fig. 282) ripens. It is of the
highest excellence, and should not
be omitted from any garden.
The Louise Bonne in its turn
gives place to Marie Louise (fig.
283), the great gift of Van Mons to j
the world. This is the best of 1
thousands of seedlings this dis-
tinguished pomologist raised. All
FIG. 283 -Marie Louise. garcjeners contrive to keep their
Marie Louise as long as possible. Unfortunately, the blossoms of
this fruit very badly -withstand the frosts of spring, and so the trees
seldom give a crop.
November now arrives, and brings with it a pear — the Beurre de
Capiaumont (fig. 284) — which is hardy, and constantly gives a crop.
I think it a useful pear, but it is unsaleable in the market, and
is generally sold on the barrows in the streets.
After, or about the same time as the Beurre de Capiaumont,
the Beurre Clairgeau (fig. 285) ripens. Although a coarse pear, it
FIG. 282. — Thompson's.
k
jH
FIG. 284.— Peurre de
Capiaumont.
FIG. 286. — Doyenne de
Cornice.
FIG. 287. — Crasanue.
FIG. 285. — Jleurre Clairgeau.
is very handsome on the tree, and a great bearer. The tree
assumes the same form as one of the upright Lombard poplars. It
THE PEAR.
59
sis certainly worth while to have a single tree, but it is at best a
ssecond-rate pear.
The Doyenne de Cornice (fig. 286) next follows. It is a pear of
the highest order. It is exquisitely delicious, and should be extensively
grown, and no other pear will be eaten as long as this excellent
variety lasts. I have only lately become acquainted with its high
merits, but as soon as I knew them I procured more trees.
This is followed by. General Todleben, which is a
new pear, and still but little known. I have not
found it a good bearer, but the specimens which I
have tasted have been excellent.
The Crasanne (fig. 287) is remarkable for its long
stalk and globular form. It is a delicious juicy pear,
and is often grown against a wall.
Beurre Superfin (fig. 288) now comes into season,
and this is a very fine pear. This is followed by Beurre IG< s2uperfn.eur
Diel (fig. 289), a large pear, very unequal in its qualities ; when it
is really fine, it is a superb pear. This, again, is followed by the
surpassing Chaumontel (fig. 290). In the Channel 'Islands it attains
the greatest perfection, and good specimens fetch 5/. a hundred.
At my garden they never attain a very large size, but in a neigh-
bouring garden, on a wall, I have known them to be grown on an
FIG. 290. — Chaumontel.
FIG. 289.— Beurre Diel.
FIG. 292. - Josephine
de Malines.
FIG. 291.
Duchesse d'Angouleme.
old tree to such a size and of such a flavour that they could not
readily be distinguished from the justly celebrated Jersey specimens.
The Duchesse d'Angouleme (fig. 291) is a large pear, largely grown
160 MY GARDEN.
1 -
in France and imported into England. In this country it bears,
but has little flavour. \
As we get late in the season, — as in the end of November anc
beginning of December, — the order of ripening is more uncertain, but
still we have pears the fruit of which is of the highest order. Amongst
these late pears the Josephine de Maiines (fig. 292) stands unrivalled.
It is so delicious that it surpasses the peach in
flavour, juiciness, texture, and in refreshing qualities. ,
Notwithstanding its general high character, I have
known it to be worthless, and in 1869 my speci-
mens were no better than raw turnips.
The Glout Morceau (fig. 293) ripens about this
time. The fruit is better from a standard than
from a wall tree, and specimens which were grown
at Peterborough House, Fulham, and kept till Feb-
ruary, were finer than any other pears which I
F.G. 293.-Giout Morceau. haye eyer taste(j ejther in this country or in France.
About the middle of December a common-looking pear ripens,
which has so indifferent an appearance that some housekeepers refuse
to put it on their masters' tables. This is the Nelis d'Hiver (fig. 294),
which is, in my opinion, one of the finest of all the fruits of the earth,
and should always be cultivated.
The Ne Plus Meuris is a fine pear, but the blossom is constantly
^ destroyed by the spring frosts, and I
\ ^JifpV have had but little produce, although
J^pT \ .4jf| IJKllk I have several trees. Huyshe's
•• B •« lilHnk vict°ria (fis- 295)> raised fr°m the
JIJ Marie Louise, promises to take a
jjjj/ high position amongst pears, but,
^^MB^^ up to this time it has not borne
FIG. 295.— Huyshe's Victoria. WQ\\ jn j^y crarden.
The Beurre Ranee (fig. 296) is another fine late pear, which keeps
well till the spring. Passe Colmar has a peculiar flavour, and the
Easter Beurre (fig. 297) is useful for spring use. This variety is liable
THE PEAK. 161
to the pear fungus, which makes it crack, and renders it useless for
food. There is one more pear strongly commended by Rivers
. the Passe Crasanne, but I have no experience of it, as mv trees
i
have not yet yielded fruit, and
therefore I must leave him respon-
sible for its high commendation.
I have been unable to obtain a
specimen to figure.
From my experience, the above
varieties form a collection which
is sufficient for the requirements of
most families, and will give them Beur™ Rance- Easte- Beurre.
fruit for dessert for at least eight months in the year. There are
many other good pears which may be grown. Green Chisel ripens in
August. Beurre Goubault is a constant bearer and a fair pear. Beurre
Bosc and Pois de Paradis are both good pears : the former does not
travel well. Beurre d'Amanlis is often recommended, but it is a hand-
some large pear utterly devoid of flavour. The Autumn Bergamot is
not to be despised in November, and the shy-bearing Gansel Bergamot
is very fine : we grow it double-worked. Durandeau is a charming
pear, but we never get many ; and Beadnell's Seedling, a pear raised
by a friend at Tottenham, is generally commended by pomologists ; it,
however, speedily rots when gathered. The Vicar of VVinkfield is
frequently a great bearer, and some years it is large and eatable ;
but no more can be said in its praise. Knight's Monarch and
Broompark are occasionally surpassingly fine, but the fruit of the former
constantly drops prematurely.
A pear called the Bezi Mai has been introduced into England
from France. It is a very handsome pear, but with me remains hard
till the next summer. From its good bearing qualities it may prove a
valuable kitchen pear.
The Napoleon pear has a distinct etherial flavour in its juice.
The Beurre Van Mons is a delicious pear; the Dorothea Royale
Nouvelle is a fine pear. The America is worthless ; the Nouveau
M
162 J/F GARDEN.
Poiteau is but middling, but the Nouvelle Fulvie is so exquisitely
delicious that its properties should be immediately more carefully
studied. Amongst the newest pears I have lately added is the
Brockworth Park. Opinions differ as to its quality, and I have
not myself tasted it. I have tasted the Autumn Josephine,
which appears promising, and Powell's Premier,
which has merits. There is another very handsome
new pear, called the Benedictine (fig. 298), which has
not yet borne with me. Although I am unable to
speak at present with confidence of its merits, yet
it is manifestly a pear to study, the better to test
the advisability of its general culture. All the later
kinds of pear are more or less capricious in their
flavour and texture, as well as in the precise time at
FIG. ^.-Benedictine. which they Y[pGn After Christmas the quantity of
pears dwindles, but this depends a great deal upon the thorough ripening
of the fruit in autumn. In the spring of 1870 I was in Italy, and we
had pears there till the beginning of May. The kind in use was the
" Epine d'Hiver." It was juicy, and eatable in the absence of any
other fruit, but most assuredly would have been cast aside for any of
the kinds which I have recommended.
All pears in some seasons are apt to be gritty ; that is, have pieces
of hard woody tissue in their texture, which Quekett states to be
an aggregation of a number of cells composed
of a material called sclerogen (fig. 299), which
gives the hardness to the stone of the plum,
to the shell cf the cocoa-nut, and to the ivory-
nut.
A^t Wallington my pears are almost ex-
clusively grown on the quince stock, and are
FIG. 299.— Ont of Pear. worked close to the ground. Some few varie-
ties, such as Gansel's Bergamot and Marie Louise, are worked upon a
pear which has itself been grafted upon the quince ; and a very few,
such as Jargonelle and Ne Plus Meuris, are grown on the pear stock
THE PEAR.
163
because they do not succeed well when they are grafted on the quince.
I have seen pears grown on the common thorn, but I have none
such in my garden. My quince-rooted pear-trees are grown as
pyramids (fig. 300), all cut to one height, nine feet, and taking the
general form of a "Jack in the Green,"
which used to delight the little boys and
girls on May-day.
The rule is to pinch the top shoots in
June, when the first shoots appear, and it
is a good plan to pinch back the young
shoots to about three leaves at the upper half
of the tree a few days before the shoots of
the lower half of the tree are touched,
because the upper shoots have a tendency FIG. 300.— pyramid Pear on Quince,
to grow much more strongly than those on the lower half. In
regulating the general form of the tree, great care is taken that the
upper branches do not overshadow the lower branches, as this
renders them fruitless. These lower branches should nearly touch the
ground, but some years ago I had a gardener who gave himself great
trouble to displease me by altogether removing many of the lowest
branches of my pear-trees, because in his opinion they were worthless
for the production of fruit.
In winter, when the exuberant shoots of the trees
are cut back, care should be taken not to cut off
the bearing spurs, which may be known by the size
of the fruiting buds, as the shoot buds are much
smaller, as will readily be seen by the annexed
drawing (fig. 301). In winter, when all the trees are
cut to one height and form, they have a neat
Fin. 301.— Pear Branches.
appearance.
Wherever I have been on the Continent the
pyramid on the quince stock has been observed to
be the favourite form of tree for dessert pears, and the kinds which
I have observed in France and Italy are mostly of the sorts which
M 2
1 64 MY GARDEN.
we e>teem in this country, and which are cultivated at Wallington.
I have one tree planted as a cordon (fig. 222), that is, as a single rod
trained a few inches above the * ground ; but this I regard rather as
a fanciful conceit than a practically useful contrivance.
Pyramids about two feet in diameter form beautiful objects to
be placed along the side of the walk. My pear-tree walk is so
arranged ; and it certainly presents a pretty effect, both when the
trees are neatly trimmed in winter and when they are in flower, the
promise of spring, or laden with fruit, the performance of autumn.
Throughout Europe, pyramid dessert pears are arranged by the side
of paths. When pears are grown against walls, we train them as
though they were espaliers. It is desirable to grow the earliest, and
some of the latest, in this way.
The trees should be planted in good top spit loam. If they grow
too luxuriantly, it is desirable to lift the tree in winter, and to lessen
the fibrous roots. Dr. Hooker pointed out to me the bad effects of
leaving dead roots with fungus in the earth where trees are growing,
as they are apt to injure their growth, or kill them. This fact has
been overlooked by those who recommend frequent lifting of trees
and replantation in the same place.
After a year or two, manure is certainly advisable, which may be
either spread over the ground or lightly trenched in. Woollen material
has been tried in my garden by simply laying it on the ground around
the stem of the tree. The little rootlets so much like this material
that they form a complete interlacing, but when the wool is rotten
the rootlets are apt to perish, which is not desirable, and therefore
wool should be discarded as a manure. Where manure is rrecessary,
the best stable dung is preferable.
In the poor exhausted humus of the ground of Wallington, old
brick rubbish is very desirable ; the pieces of broken brick, the sulphate
of lime, carbonate of lime, and sand, mixed together, being favourable
to growth.
The pear pyramids in the month of April are particularly lovely
when covered with their beautiful flowers, but let us not be deceived by
THE PEAR. ,65
appearances, for experience here shows, the more the flower the
less the fruit. The fact is, that an enormous display of blossom is
very exhausting to the tree, and a tree with excess of blossom
generally has no fruit at all. When, however, there are but few
blossoms every one will set, and there will be a plentiful crop of
fruit. An undue crop of fruit also exhausts the tree, and prevents
the fruit itself from coming to perfection.
Upon these grounds the successful growth of pears in the open
ground depends on the trees having a due balance of leaves, flowers,
and fruit. Too much growth and too many leaves give no fruit, too
many flowers prevent fruit, and too much fruit in one year prevents
the development of fruit in the succeeding year.
Gardeners grow pears on a quince stock in order to lessen the
intensity of the woody growth. In nature, a pear-tree is a large
forest tree ; in cultivation, the pyramid is a mere bush or shrub. To
take advantage of the power of the quince stock and to lessen the
growth of the pear, we must be careful to prevent the pear stock
from reaching below the ground, or this will happen, — the pear
stock will send out roots, when the tree will no longer remain a
quince-rooted pear-bush, but will become a pear- rooted forest tree.
For some years I did not know how to deal with the graft, whether
to keep it above ground or place it below, till experience taught me
that all my beautiful pyramids might be spoilt if I did not take
care to prevent the pear roots from being formed, or, when formed, if
I did not quickly cut them off again.
At Wallington I have very few standard pear-trees, and such as
I have present no features for comment, as they have been rather tole-
rated than cultivated ; but, wherever there is space, everyone ought to
cultivate a standard Louise Bonne, Jargonelle, Marie Louise, Beurrc
de Capiaumont, Beurre Superfin, Glout Morceau, Dcyenne de Cornice,
Nelis d'Hiver, and Catillac.
To ensure a crop of fruit, protection in spring has been recom-
mended, but I doubt its efficacy. I once thought of trying an experi-
ment by covering my pyramids with crinolines. For this purpose
1 66 MY GARDEN.
I went to a large manufacturer, but could not agree upon a reasonable
price. On a sudden the vendor said, " I beg your pardon, sir, but
what possibly can be your object in wanting to buy so many crinolines ? "
" To cover my fruit-trees," was the reply. Whereupon the dismay of
the manufacturer was great, as he declared that their use for such an
object would cast a lasting ridicule upon the article, and injure its sale.
Many of the quince-worked pears I have planted in pots. Citron de
Cannes, Doyenne d'£te, Josephine de Malines, and the Chaumontel
I have successfully cultivated in this way in the orchard-house. Those
allowed to ripen in the house are generally very inferior in flavour
to those grown out of doors ; but if they are allowed to set their fruit
in the house, and the trees removed out of doors about the 1st of
June, a crop is secured, and their excellence is maintained.
Pot pear-trees require great care in watering, and a supply of liquid
manure at the times when the flower sets, when the pear first swells,
when the pips form, and when the fruit is perfecting itself. It is
also advantageous at these critical times to give manure water
twice a week.
If the pyramid is in thorough condition, the young fruit will bear
moderate, but not excessive, frost in spring. The trees bore excessive
drought and heat very badly in 1870, and numbers of pears ceased to
grow therefrom. Perhaps the crop is most certainly secured by keeping
the trees in a perfect balance of leaf, flower, and fruit, by judicious
moderate root- pruning or manuring. I have considered it desirable to
give to all my trees some phosphate of lime by throwing bone-dust
over the ground, and I apply a little stable manure to the surface
every year.
Mr. Thompson advised me to grow pear-trees on quince stocks as
espaliers, as he thought they would pay well. I never tried the
experiment, though the dictum of so great an authority deserves full
consideration.
The pear should be gathered when it comes easily from the tree.
It then should be placed in the fruit-room, each pear separate from the
others, and care must be taken to watch the fruit as it ripens. When
THE QUINCE.
167
about to ripen, it is not desirable to move it to any distance, as con-
cussion renders it liable to decay. Pears ought always to be moved
from the fruit-room in the garden to the house, and kept a few days,
so as to ripen before they have to be used. In the fruit-room the
same precautions against fungus, as have been already recommended
in the storing of apples, should be taken by burning sulphur.
It is essential that pears should be kept till ripe. They are in
perfection but a very short time, as immediately after they are fit for
use they rot. If used before they are fit, they are hard and worth-
less. Their juiciness is their great merit, to which the poet alludes
when he sings : —
" The juicy pear
Lies in a soft profusion, scattered round." — THOMSON.
THE QUINCE.
Two kinds of Quince are grown with me, the common quince and
the Portugal (fig. 302). The latter is not only far larger, but is also a
better bearer and more finely flavoured. As this fruit is only required
for confections and to give a flavour to apple tarts, a single tree of the
Portugal quince will suffice for a family. Although they like to grow-
near water they do not succeed in very wet soil, and in that situation I
have had trees more than ten years without their showing even a single
FIG. 303.- Flower of Portugal
Qui nee.
flower. Trees may be readily propagated by layers or from suckers.
A tree laden with the large Portugal quince is very beautiful, and
large, white, prominent flowers (fig. 303) arc equally ornamental.
1 68
MY GARDEN.
THE PLUM.
" I will dance and eat plums at your wedding."
SHAKSPEARE, Merry Wives of Windsor.
The Plum (Prnnus domes tica) is a useful fruit in its season. We
grow about seventy kinds, but there are innumerable varieties, some
named and some without names, which are in use. New varieties are
obtained by sowing the seeds of approved kinds, and varieties are
FIG. 304. — Rivers' 4-10.305. — I
tarly Favourite.1 Gare.
in;. 306. — Green Gage.
propagated by budding the desired kind on a plum
stock. When a plum is on its own roots, it may
also be propagated by suckers. FK;. 307.T^den DroP.
Plum-trees do not grow well in my soil, and I have been compelled
to raise many of the trees and plant them in loam ; nevertheless, we
always obtain sufficient for the use of the house. The first dessert
plum which we ripen, is Rivers' Early Favourite (fig. 304), which
is constantly fit for use about the third week in July, when grown
on a bush. The Early Mirabelle is a nice little plum, following close
upon it. The Reine Claude Violette is a very beautiful fruit ; it and
Kirke's, both of which ripen in September, are fine purple plums.
The Orleans plum is excellent when ripe, and the Jefferson is very
fine. Lawrence's Gage (fig. 305) is a fine plum resembling the Green
Gage. It ripens at the end of August. The Goliath, which is generally
abused, is better, when ripe and well-grown, than is reputed. The Green
Gage (fig. 306) is by common consent the king of plums, but then in this
country it is a bad bearer. When it does bear, the fruit is magnificent ;
and no garden should be without standard trees, which the cultivator
may be perfectly certain will bear some years, but not every year. Coe's
1 All the figures of plums are drawn one-half of their diameter.
THE PLUM.
169
Golden Drop (fig. 307) is a magnificent plum. It has the valuable
quality of keeping a long time after it has been gathered, especially
if wrapped up in paper and hung in the fruit-room. Ickworth's Impe*-
ratrice (fig. 308) is a delicious plum when ripened and quite shrivelled.
It is covered with the most exquisite purple bloom, and will keep
a long time in a dry fruit-room.
The Belgian Purple (fig. 309) is reputed to be a very fine early plum,
but although I have a tree, I cannot say that I am familiar enough with
it to be able to speak positively as to its merits.
Plums are especially adapted for culinary purposes, as they last from
i
ipt'ratnce.
FIG. 309.— Belgian
Purple.
FIG. 310. — Prince Kn-lo-
bert.
F.G. 311.— Belle de
I. mi vain.
July till November. Rivers' Prolific ripens in July. There is an early
sort grown in Kent, the name of which I could never learn, which is fit
for use about the same time. The Prince Englebert (fig. 310) is very
•-;<;. 3I2 —Yellow
A.aguum Bonum.
FIG. 3i3.-Gisl.
FIG. 314.— P/ajk Dia:.: .:-.•!.
FIG. 315.— Prince of
Wales.
large, rich, and excellent, bears profusely, and is ripe in the middle
of August. The Belle de Louvain (fig. 311), which ripens a little
later, is a large, deep purple plum, and is hardy.
GARDEN.
The Yellow Magnum Bonum (fig. 312) is a fine large plum, much
used for conserves, but it is apt to ferment unless carefully preserved.
Gisborne (fig. 313) is a yellow plum which bears prodigiously every
season, no matter what may be the weather. It is a good culinary
plum which no garden should be without. The Diamond (fig. 314)
is very large and handsome, arid ripens during the first week in
September.
The plum called the Prince of Wales (fig. 315) is a prodigious
bearer, rarely failing to give a crop, and that, too, after yielding a
crop in the preceding year more than is good for
the welfare of the tree. It should be grown in
every garden. Although the Washington Plum
/fig. 316) is generally esteemed as a kitchen plum,
yet it is really good enough for a dessert fruit.
IB The Wine Sour is a plum which ought to be
H^ brought into common cultivation. It is a York-
shire variety, and it has been thought desirable to
FIG. 316.— Washington
advise growers in the south to try more extensively
this variety. I have a tree, but it does not thrive well ; and there is
an idea that this plum does not ripen out of Yorkshire.
We grow the common Damson, but with us it does not bear freely.
On the other hand, a kind of damson supposed to have been raised by
the eminent antiquary Mr. C. Roach Smith, called the Rochester Cluster
Damson (fig. 317), is invaluable for its productiveness. I learnt its
value from that gentleman, and it is curious to look at trees of this
variety laden with fruit and compare
them with the others having none. The
Cluster Damson is by far the best culinary
plum known. I grow also the
Bullace (Primus insititia, fig.
Fu;.3,7.-R0chester Prolific. ^3^ whiCh is Valuable for CO11-
fectionary purposes, and comes in later than any other plum.
We grow several kinds of plums in pots in the orchard-house, and
the produce is enormous. The flavour of the fruit, however, is greatly
THE APRICOT. 171
deteriorated — so much so, that I doubt whether it is worth growing any
kind under glass except Coe's Golden Drop. Perhaps the overbearing
of the tree is one cause, and that may be the reason why the flavour
of foreign plums is so indifferent compared with those grown in
England. A green-gage grown in a pot is intensely sweet, but has
none of that fine green-gage flavour to be found in fruit grown on a
bush or standard.
My collection of plums are grown, some as standards, which do
best ; the remainder as bushes. The shoots of the latter are stopped
in June and pruned back in winter. Pruned trees have a tendency
to throw out long sappy shoots, which rob the tree and render
it unproductive. In some years we are troubled greatly with large
green aphides, which cover the under-side of the leaves so thickly
that not a pin can be placed between the creatures. I do not think
plum-trees like much pruning, as unpruned standards certainly do
better than those which are cut to any extent. Rivers recommends a
biennial lifting, but this is really a great undertaking when there are
a hundred or more large trees.
THE APRICOT.
The Apricot is a fruit of great excellence. In this country it
will not bear fruit as a standard, it requires a wall : but we have no
walls, therefore we are restricted to its cultivation in the orchard-house.
Again we are in a difficulty, as the apricot does not like artificial
cultivation, and is extremely difficult to force.
Several kinds of apricots have been tried out of doors, as bushes or
trees, but they have never yielded any fruit in rny garden, although
they blossom in great abundance : we may assume that in our climate
they will not bear out of doors.
In the orchard- house we have found the Peach Apricot to be as good
as any. The Moorpark Apricot, which is perhaps the richest of all,
has the peculiarity of losing branches without any assignable cause.
Large branches sometimes laden with fruit suddenly die, and hence
172 MY GARDEN.
the tree becomes unsightly and irregular. Out of doors the Early,
Kaisha, and Breda varieties are frequently grown.
I have had several orchard-house trees of more than one kind, and
the fruit we obtain is of most exquisite flavour. An orchard-house
apricot, properly ripened, is very different from a wall-grown apricot, as
it is ripened throughout, and its flavour is a combination of those of
a preserve and a fresh fruit. It is really one of the choicest fruits of
the earth. For culture in the orchard-house the tree should be planted
in stiff top spit loam and rammed as tight as possible. During growth
the tree requires abundance of air, and liquid manure ought to be given
at least twice a week. After the crop is ripe the' tree
ought to be moved out of the house, to fully perfect
the wood for the next year. In a history of Moor Park,
it is stated that Admiral Anson brought the Moorpark
Apricot (fig. 318) from the East, and that it was cultivated
at that park under Lancelot Brown, who was afterwards head gardener
at Windsor and at Hampton Court.
THE PEACH AND THE NECTARINE.
" The sunny wall
Presents the downy peach." — THOMSON.
Strange as it may seem, the Peach and Nectarine are one fruit. If a
peach kernel is sown, perhaps a peach, perhaps a nectarine may be
produced. As a rule, most seedlings have some merit, and I have been
informed that in North America, where the cold in some winters destroys
the peach-trees, they plant kernels and obtain others in three years'
time, without grafting or without care as to their being special varieties.
In this country we are more particular, and only approved varieties
are cultivated, of which there are considerable numbers. Mr. Rivers has
been diligent in raising new seedlings. It is a great object to get
peaches early, as that prolongs the peach-producing period. His earliest
peaches are the Early Louise (fig. 319), and Early Beatrice (fig. 320),
PEACHES AND NECTARINES.
'73
which ripens about the middle of July. I have only this year ordered
a tree of each variety, and so their merits have not been tested ; but
the Early Louise is spoken of in the highest terms. The figures are
taken from specimens kindly sent me by Mr. Rivers.
The Victoria is another early peach ; it has been very fine for some
years, but this year it was comparatively worthless. I grow also the Early
FIG. 319. — Early Louise.1 FIG. 320. — Early Beatrice.
Alfred, but it has not as yet fruited. The Abec is a fine large fruit, with
large ornamental flowers. The Grosse Mignonne (fig. 321) is highly
extolled by pomologists ; but peaches with down upon the skin are
not agreeable to me, as I think them greatly inferior to the Noblesse
(fig. 322), which is far more delicious in flavour. The George the Fourth
FIG. 321. — Early Grosse
Mignonne.
FIG. 322.-Noble.se. FIG. 323.-Be]legard
. 324- — Late Admirable.
is another most excellent peach, but very liable to fungous growth.
The Bellegard (fig. 323) is a fine fruit, and the Late Admirable (fig. 324)
is a peach of the largest size, which ripens when all the other kinds
have passed away, and is, when thoroughly in perfection, a fruit of
the highest order of merit.
In my orchard-house the peach-trees are grown as trained trees before
the glass, as bushes, and as standards. Nothing can be more interesting
than to see one of my peach standards covered with its beautiful fruit,
and nothing can rival the quality of the fruit when it is so grown.
1 All the figures of peaches and nectarines are drawn one-third of their diameter.
I74 MY GARDEN.
The peach-trees, when planted for orchard-houses, are grown in pots
in good top spit loam with a little well-rotted manure ; the earth is
rammed tightly in the pot, and is shifted by degrees to the largest-sized
pots. A portion of my trees every year are grown in the open air,
and the others are fruited in the orchard-house. The trees should
be watered with manure water at least twice a week ;
too much or too little water utterly spoils the quality of the
fruit. When the fruit is gathered, it is a good plan to remove
the trees to the open air, to be refreshed by the dews, and
to obtain the light and air of heaven. When winter comes
water is withheld, and the pots are allowed to dry, never-
theless care is taken not to expose the roots to frost, and
for this purpose the pots are covered during the winter with
straw. In February the trees may be pruned. We find
three kinds of buds (fig. 325) : one a large, plump, single
bud, which is a fruit bud ; another a small, long bud, which is
Peach buds. a shoot bud ; and a third kind which is a triple bud, the
bud in the centre being the shoot bud, and the plump bud on each
side the blossom buds.
In cutting back the long shoots we cut to the triple bud, as the shoot
bud grows and the leaves nourish the fruit should it set. During the
growth of the peach plenty of air is required : in fact it is not of much
importance if one or two panes of glass are broken ; it is much better
for apertures to exist by day and night than for the house to be
absolutely closed all night.
My experience leads me to conclude that a good mode of treating
peach and nectarine trees is to keep the trees in the orchard-house till
about the first week in June, when the fruit is set ; then to let it ripen
out of doors. The fruit, under these circumstances, is smaller, of a much
more intense colour, and of a far higher flavour. For the last two or
three years I have arranged more trees in the house than it is desirable
should remain, and have removed the surplus quantity outside to ripen.
This plan, from its perfect success, will be used to its utmost possible
extent on all future occasions. I would sooner have one fruit ripened
'75
out of doors than two ripened under glass, although we certainly
obtain house peaches of the highest excellence.
NECTARINES.
The Nectarine has been already stated to be identical with the
peach. The trees are grown in the same manner in all respects as the
peach-trees. We have grown Violette Hative, Pitmaston's Orange,
Elruge, and others, and I have figured two new seedlings kindly sent me
by Mr. Rivers. The nectarine is a most delicious fruit when thoroughly
... .„.,._. *^,~~
FIG. 326. — Violette
Hative.
FIG. 327. — Rivers' FIG. 328. — Rivers' Se
Orange. No. 23.
^^^^^^"^
FIG. 329. — Rivers' Seedling,
No. 93.
riperfed, and it attains high perfection in the orchard-house it grown
as a standard, when the fruit is exposed to both light and air. The
fruit should hang upon the tree till the period at which it commences to
shrivel. The Violette Hative (fig. 326) is a capital variety. The
Orange nectarine (fig. 327) is very fine, and Rivers has raised several
good seedlings (figs. 328 and 329). We have other kinds, but it is
hardly worth recording their names.
The most usual manner of training apricot, peach, and nectarine trees,
FIG. 330. — Fan-shaped Peach-tree.
FIG. 331. — The " Cordon Oblique.
in this country, is to train them in the form of a fan (fig. 330), and
frequently between two dwarf trees a standard fan tree is grown, so that
I76 MY GARDEN.
the whole wall is covered. The French horticulturists often grow
them in "cordon oblique," — that is, a number of trees are planted
against a wall, about two feet apart, at an angle (fig. 331). I am assured
that this plan has failed in our village with apricot-trees, and I cannot
learn that it has succeeded well in our climate, though I have seen trees
so trained in France covered with fine fruit.
CHERRIES.
Cherry-trees do not thrive well in the soil and climate of my garden,
so what with the imperfection of the soil which causes the foliage to be-
come yellow, the spring frosts which injure the foliage in May, and the
birds which take the fruit the climate does not spoil, I have but little
personal knowledge of cherries. It is true that I have planted some
thirty kinds of cherry-trees, but my experience is but limited, and certainly
a critical comparison between the different kinds is entirely out of the
question. Varieties are raised from seed, and propagated by grafting the
variety on a cherry stock. The Early Purple Gean
is very early (fig. 332), ripening in the orchard-house
in May. The Adams' Crown is a good early cherry,
ripening at the end of June. The May Duke is a
good cherry, ripening in the early part of July.
The Black Eagle (fig. 333), and the Bigarreau Duke
(fig. 334), were shown in the highest perfection at
the Horticultural Gardens on May 3rd, 1871, but
332f^S!r'ly ?urple the conditions under which they were forced were
not stated. The Bigarreau, May Duke, and Late Duke are also excel-
lent varieties.
The Morello (fig. 335) is a magnificent cherry, which attains the
highest perfection in our soil. It requires the protection of netting, or
the birds gel all the fruit. We grow this sort on dwarf bushes,
which are pruned in to a reasonable size. This kind of cherry is
generally grown on a wall.
1 All the figures of cherries are drawn one-half of their diameter.
CHERRIES.
177
In Kent a fine kitchen cherry is grown, called the Kentish cherry.
It is said that the trees are dying out, and are not so productive as they
formerly were. There is a very late cherry, ripe in October (fig. 336),
which Rivers states is never attacked by birds ; however, my birds are
FIG. 333.— Black
Eagle Cherry,
shown May 3,
1871, at Horti-
cultural Gar-
dens.
FIG. 334. — Bigar-
reau Uuke Cherry,
shown May 3,1871,
at Horticultural
Gardens.
FIG. 335. — Morello Cherry.
FIG. 336. — October
Cherry.
not so complacent. It is desirable to have a single tree, for the sake
of a dish of fruit out of season. The cherry-tree likes a soil of rich
loam over chalk, which mine is not ; in a garden it is necessary
to protect the fruit from birds, or they will take the greater part or
the whole of the crop.
CURRANTS.
Every garden grows black, white, and red currants. Black Currants
(fig. 337) grow well beside the water, and always like a moist, rich soil.
There appear to be several varieties which are superior to the common
wild one, or the common kind which ordinarily springs from seed. The
variety we cultivate I have not identified by name ; it yields very large
berries. The black currant is easily propagated by cuttings, put in the
ground at any time from autumn to March ; in fact, if care be taken,
probably they can be struck at any time. There is a late variety
of black currant, which is very indifferent ; I believe it is called the
Black Naples.
A new variety, called Lee's Black Currant, is said to have great
merits. I have some trees, but have not yet seen the fruit; the character
of the wood shows a vigorous growth.
Of Red and White Currants I have tried about sixteen kinds, but
N
,7jj
GARDEN.
have long ceased to be particular about the varieties. The White Dutch
(fig- 338) is a good white currant. It may be forced with care, if well
established in a pot and placed early in the vinery. The berries are,
however, apt to drop, and but very few remain till ripe ; possibly because
in a vinery they are too hot, and have not sufficient air. The pruning
of the trees requires care, as the fruit is produced from little spurs,
so that the art of pruning consists in cutting away the new shoots
FIG. 337. -Black Cur-
rants. z
FIG. 338.— White Currants. FIG. 339.— Red Currants.
and carefully leaving the spurs. I have grown currant-trees as bushes, as
pyramids, and as standards, but without any decided benefit. Pyramids
may be planted a foot apart, allowed to grow up about two feet and a
half, when a considerable number can be conveniently matted to give
fruit in November, or covered with nets to prevent the birds from
helping themselves too freely.
Of Red Currants, the Red Dutch (fig. 339) is a good kind. I have
grown Knight's Sweet Currant, but never found it sweet, although grown
against the palings.
GOOSEBERRIES.
The Gooseberry is essentially an English fruit. It is cultivated but to
a small extent in countries south of England, but it is only in the north
of England where it is particularly an object of cultivation, and where
it attains its highest perfection. Numerous shows of Gooseberries
1 Figures of currants are drawn one-half the natural size.
GOOSEBERRIES. 1 79
are held in the North, where size rather than quality is rewarded, and a
book is annually published detailing the varieties of gooseberries which
obtain prizes, and the weight to which each individual berry has attained.
Gooseberries are propagated by seed when new varieties are sought, and
the varieties are propagated in the easiest manner by cuttings or layers :
in fact, a shoot touching the ground often roots by itself. The tree is
best grown as a standard, with a stein about a foot high, from which
the boughs radiate in every direction. I have seen bushes trained
upon wire trellises, but this is a bad plan, as the fruit in early spring
is not protected by the leaves, and is apt to be injured by frost.
The pruning of the gooseberry must be performed with scrupulous
care, as only the new wood bears. A reasonable amount of the old
and of the new wood must be cut out, to let air and sunshine into all
the parts of the bushes, and a due amount of new wood must be left,
from which the crop proceeds. When trees are grown to produce
exhibition fruit, only two or three of the same year's shoots are left.
This plan I never practised, as the fruit should be tested by its qualities
for the table, and not by its magnitude and weight.
The Gooseberry is particularly liable to be affected by spring frosts,
as then nearly the entire crop of little berries drop. This happened in
1871. The bush is also liable to be attacked by the Currant moth, '
but the birds "have prevented this at my garden. Sometimes I have
known an Acarus, or species of red spider, severely to injure the trees ;
but this has not happened at my garden, as my trees, when properly
exposed to light, are pictures of health and of vigorous growth. The
trees like manure, and some should be given to the ground every year.
I have grown more than a hundred varieties, but have not found it
worth while particularly to record their names, and if many varieties are
desired it is advisable to have recourse to the Manchester nurserymen.
Mr. Turner of Slough exhibited at the Horticultural Society a fine
collection of seventy varieties, and he has kindly supplied me with the
named fruit to figure. Of one of the finest varieties, but a very bad
bearer, called Companion, I was unable to find a berry anywhere, as
all had been killed by frost.
i8o
MY GARDEN.
The first gooseberry that ripens at my garden, in June, is a yellow
gooseberry, which is a great bearer, and of medium size ; it is called the
Early Sulphur (fig. 340).
The Green-gage is another fresh -flavoured, early gooseberry ; and of
the Red Warrington (fig. 341) there should always be many trees in a
garden, as it will last in perfection till the first or second week in
September, and is second to none -in flavour. Rumbullion is also a
fine gooseberry. Of the large gooseberries, Broon Girl (fig. 342) is a
fine variety of the yellow kinds ; Smuggler (fig. 343) is another fine
yellow variety ; Crown Bob (fig. 344) is also a good red variety. Banks-
man (fig. 345) is a large green gooseberry. With regard to goose-
FIG. 341.— Red FIG. 342.— Broon
Warrington. Girl.
FK;, 340.— Early
Sulphur.1
*
FIG. 345. — Banks-
nia.i.
FIG. 343.— Smuggler FIG. 344.— Crown Bub.
(yellow).
berries it is desirable to have many trees of the Early Sulphur,
Green-gage, as well as of the Red Warrington, and then to add one
tree of many varieties of the red, white, green, and yellow sorts.
The gooseberry is especially the cottager's fruit ; though those
accustomed to live at their country seats value much their gooseberries.
Fine fruit is rarely to be obtained in London, and not then unless the
markets are visited for that purpose. At least from one to two hundred
trees should be grown in every private garden.
1 All figures of gooseberries arc drawn one half the natural size.
STRA W 'BERRIES. 1 8 1
STRAWBERRIES.
There are but few persons who do not thoroughly enjoy well-
ripened Strawberries, fresh from the garden, with cream ; nevertheless
there are some persons to whom, as a matter of peculiarity of habit,
a single strawberry is poisonous. As the latter are the exception, the
majority are to be provided for : we calculate on having strawberries
from the 1st of May till the middle of July, and Alpine strawberries
in continuation till the frost destroys them. In Scotland, strawberries
begin to ripen a month after they have finished in England, but
they are destitute of flavour.
The varieties of strawberries are legion, and are obtained by sowing
seed and by selecting those which are finest. Particular varieties are
propagated by runners. The method we adopt is to fill a " sixty "
pot with loam and place a runner upon it, and keep it there with a
stone. In a short time the runner takes root, when it is shifted into
a larger pot, or planted out, as may be required.
For our first crop we plant about two hundred plants of Keen's
seedlings in "thirty-two" pots in rich top spit loam, and carefully water
them throughout the summer to ensure good growth and abundance
of roots. During the winter the pots and roots are carefully protected
from frost. At the end of February the pots are plunged, about
one-third of their depth, in the cold frames, keeping them sufficiently
apart to ensure the action of the sun upon the leaves. They are then
watered with manure water, and the fruit ripens about the 1st of
May, and lasts till strawberries ripen out of doors. This first crop
of strawberries is sometimes the best of all. Their perfume is pene-
trating, and the flavour intense ; but then, if we desire either flavour
or odour, the plants ought not to be watered for two or three days
before the fruit is picked. This simple plan should be invariably
adopted in every garden, as the plants can be grown in the same
frame which was used to protect the cauliflowers from the frost : not
less than a hundred plants should be grown to secure a good supply
of fruit. We rarely force any plants, but the cold-frame strawberries
1 82 MY GARDEN.
far surpass the earlier forced, or even the outdoor fruit ; and they are
a great luxury during the month of May and the first week of June.
Out of doors we change the beds, according to circumstances, every
two or three years, and we generally keep each plant distinct in rows
two feet apart, and two feet distant in the row. About February the
whole bed should be covered with fresh long dung. The spring rains
thoroughly clean the straw and wash the manure into the ground,
and a. good covering is left for the strawberries to ripen. It is
objectionable to manure the strawberries in winter, as then the straw
is thoroughly rotted before the fruiting season, and the wet during
the winter is apt to rot the plants. In spring, the young leaves push
through the straw, and are protected by it from frost.
One of the varieties of strawberries we grow is the Black Prince
(fig. 346), which ripens out of doors the first week of June. When ripe
it is a first-rate fruit. It is small but hardy,, and in some years (as 1871)
FIG. 346.— Black FIG. 347.— Keen's Seedling.
Prince.1 JG. 348. — British Queen. FIG. 349. — Amateur.
yields a greater crop and finer strawberry than any other kind. It
remains some time in fruit, and when larger strawberries succeed it is
useful for preserving. The plant is small, the leaves are peculiar, and it
is better to let it stand for some years in the bed. There is another
early strawberry, called the May Queen, which is unworthy of culti-
vation. Following the Black Prince, the great standard strawberry
of gardens,- the Keen's Seedling (fig. 347), ripens. As a rule it yields
a larger crop than any other, but exceptionally in 1871 it yielded
none at all ; the entire fruit having then been destroyed by frost. The
Keen's Seedling is the strawberry for forcing, as well as for the main
crop, and therefore never should be dispensed with. Then follows
1 All figures of strawberries are drawn one-half the natural size.
STRAWBERRIES. 183
the British Queen (fig. 348), the most exquisitely flavoured strawberry
which exists. The plant is, however, very delicate in its constitution,
and likes a strong top spit loam, such as the soil of a wood cut
down and newly cultivated, when it attains its highest excellence.
Fro. 350. — Dr. Hogg. FIG. 351. — Eleanor. FIG. 352. — Eliza.
My plants have been much attacked in summer by a kind of Acarus,
or red spider (the exact species I have not determined), and with me
they are very difficult to grow.
A fine strawberry was exhibited last year at the Horticultural
Society, called the Amateur (fig. 349). It was so good that it was
immediately awarded a first-class certificate. It was raised by Mr.
Bradley, who had the good fortune to raise another variety, named
after the great pomologist, Dr. Hogg (fig. 350), which should always
be cultivated. Those who desire very large strawberries may grow
the Eleanor (fig. 351); and for a late strawberry the Elton must be
grown. These should be the standard strawberries of a garden,
to which may be added Rivers' Seedling Eliza (fig. 352), which,
however, with me has not been remarkable.
The above strawberries — especially the Black Prince, Keen's
Seedling, British Queen, Dr. Hogg, and the Elton — should be stock
varieties in every garden : nevertheless many others have been grown
in my garden. Princess Alice Maude is a good strawberry ; Sir J.
Paxton may be commended ; Carolina Superba and the Crimson
Queen are both fine. The Filbert Pine and Myatt's Pine are good ;
Nimrod is a useful variety. We have grown Dundas, Empress
Eugenie, Erogrnore, Late Pine, Sir Charles Napier, Victoria, and
Wonderful. We have also tried Sir Harry, Prince of Wales, President,
Oscar, Comte de Paris, and Princess of Wales. I have had Hautbois
for years, but although I have tasted it I never had a dish.
1 84
MY GARDEN.
Besides these common varieties, we are very particular about our
growth of Alpine strawberries. I have grown many kinds, of which
there are two, one white and the other red, without runners, which are
commendable. These may be raised from seed early in spring in a seed
frame, and pricked out, when they fruit in the autumn of the same year.
But for Alpine strawberries we rely upon a variety the seed of which
I procured in Paris some years ago (fig. 353). Young plants are planted
out early in spring, when they bear immediately after the ordinary
FIG. 354.— Cells of ripe
Strawberry.
FIG. 353- — Perpetual Alpine Strawberry.
strawberries, and last till autumn. They should be eaten with claret
and sugar, as is the custom in France. A few put into claret-
cup impart a very agreeable flavour.
The strawberry fruit is built up of cells with brown central nucleus,
as Quekett has shown (fig. 354).
The strawberry likes good soil ; so does the nettle : hence the
allusion of our poet when he says: —
" The strawberry grows underneath the nettle ;
And wholesome berries thrive and ripen best,
Neighbour'd by fruit of baser quality."
SHAKSPEARE, King Henrv V.
RASPBERRIES.
The wild fruits of the country have given to us various varieties
of raspberries valuable for our winter preserves. The Falstaff
(fig- 355) is a fine variety which we grow, and Red and Yellow Antwerp
are*also tried kinds. To raise different varieties, seeds must be sown,
RASPBERRIES. 185
and in our garden, where birds abound, raspberries come up all over
the place. Particular varieties are propagated by suckers. The canes
which have fruited are cut down in autumn, and two or three of
the year's growth are left to fruit the next year. Sometimes we
have tied these canes to sticks, and at other times we have tied
them to wires stretching between posts. There is an autumnal
FIG. 355.— Falstaff Red Raspberry. FIG. 356.— Yellow Autumn Raspberry.
raspberry (fig. 356) which some years, though not invariably, gives us
fruit as late as November. A dish of the autumn raspberries is
particularly grateful and refreshing ; but I never could find out how
to manage it so as to be sure of fruit. The autumn raspberries are
both yellow and red : I have figured the yellow.
We have Rivers' cross between the Blackberry and Raspberry,
but it very seldom sets any fruit : I have only had a few berries,
which are of a dark colour and fair flavour, but not so good as either
the Blackberry or Raspberry. Its want of productiveness makes it
useless at present ; nevertheless the experiment is quite worth further
trial. He has raised other varieties also, which are stated to be better ;
of these I have one or two which have not yet fruited.
The Raspberry is of great value in a household, and therefore
should be always freely grown. It grows wild plentifully near
Weybridge, but not so profusely as it does in Scotland, where it is
more common than the Blackberry.
GRAPE VINES.
At various times I have grown at my garden many kinds of
grapes, but for want of space the number has been gradually limited
to a few. The varieties in cultivation are innumerable, and a
i86 J/K GARDEX.
gentleman at Naples told me that he had more than two hundred
kinds in his garden. At Wallington we grow no outdoor vine. In
the orchard-house about eighteen varieties were tried, but failed. The
growth of the peach, nectarine, apricot, and fig is the especial object
of the orchard-house, and the treatment they like does not seem to
be agreeable to the vines, as very few bunches ever come to perfec-
tion. The vines in the orchard-house are continually attacked by the
Erisaphe or oi'dium (see Fungi), and the crop rendered worthless.
In the Poor Man's House we restrict our kinds to three, one vine
being a Sweetwater, a second the Black Prince, and the remainder
Black Hamburgh.
The Poor Man's House is situated on a bed of coarse, poor gravel,
but I had a mind to plant the vines in it as an experiment. The
vines made hard, short-jointed wood. They were planted four feet
apart ; and as the glass is ten feet long, each vine had forty square
feet of glass. Since they have been planted the vines have been
manured yearly with stable dung. They have had ivory dust
sprinkled over the ground, and the best top spit loam, from four
to six inches, has been placed at the top of the soil.
The colour of the grapes is perfect, the size of the bunches large ;
the individual berries are also large, but the flavour is most intense;
in fact, I think that these grapes are the best I taste anywhere. In
this house, which has 480 superficial feet of glass, 204 bunches were
produced in 1871, of about 152 ib. in weight.
The house has only two 3- inch pipes, but the heat from them is
sufficient to start the vines by February 15, to flower them by April 5,
and to ripen the fruit from the 1st till the middle of July.
In the Grapery the vines are kept back to start as late as possible ;
to ripen their grapes by the first week in September, when they give
fruit till the end of February. At the Grapery, the vines were planted
in top spit loam with some brick rubbish, but this border has not
proved so good as the natural soil, as the loam was too heavy. I
intend to rectify this border by removing some of the heavier loam,
and by adding stable manure and brick rubbish, which I believe
GRAPE VINES.
187
for all fruit trees, and for many other plants, is the best material for
their healthy growth.
The kinds of grapes which, from my experience, should be grown
are, first, the Black Hamburgh (fig. 357). This, upon the whole, is the
best of all grapes. It does not keep very late after being ripe, but
FIG. 357. — Black- Hamburgh.1
FIG. 350. — Trentham
Black.
FIG. 358.— Black Prince.
becomes thick in the pulp. The larger number of vines should always
be Black Hamburgh. A Sweetwater comes in a few days earlier
than a Black Hamburgh, and therefore one vine should be of this
kind. Standish has a Sweetwater which is unusually early, but it
has not as yet fruited with me. One vine in every collection should be
the Black Prince (fig. 358), which, although it sometimes fails, is a nice
juicy grape. One vine also should be the Trentham Black (fig. 359),
which is also a juicy and refreshing grape, and, upon the whole, my
favourite black grape. There should be one vine of Ingram's Prolific
Muscat (fig. 360). This grape is good and high-flavoured when it
has somewhat shrivelled, but not before. It is so prolific that at least
three-fourths of the branches should be cut off the moment they appear.
This variety has not been much approved, and is again going out
1 All figures of grapes are drawn one-half the natural size.
1 88
MY GARDEN.
of cultivation. It has the peculiarity of having many seeds. One vine
should be grown of the Chasselas Musque (fig. 361), which when fine
is one of the finest of all grapes ; sometimes, however, it splits and
rots, but sometimes we have had every berry perfect. There is no
known method of preventing this mischief, otherwise the grape would
be. extensively grown. One vine may be grown of the Frontignan
(fig. 362), which, although a small grape and consequently unpleasing
to most grape growers, is a good grape when not over-cropped ; but
FIG. 360. — Ingram's Prolific Muscat.
F/G. 362. — White trontigrian.
FIG. 361. — Chasselas
Musque.
a grape called Standish's Citronelle (fig. 363) has been lately intro-
duced, of such surpassing excellence that it will doubtless take its
place. We have had it before the fruit committee of the Horticultural
Society, where it received the highest commendation. One vine may
be grown of Buckland's Sweetwater (fig. 364), which produces large
bunches with enormous berries, with a thin, watery juice very refresh-
ing on a hot day of September. One vine may be grown of Snow's
Muscat Hamburgh. The berries of this are apt to shrink, but the
fruit when in good order is delicious. With regard to late grapes, there
is nothing to compare with Lady Downe's Seedling (fig. 365). The
vine breaks later than any other, and when the grape is ripe it
keeps later than any other. The figure is from a bunch which
was ripe at the end of August, and which was preserved in a bottle
of water till the first week of June, when the berries were still found
GRAPE VINES.
189
to be good. Such a number of trees of Lady Downe's should be
grown as will be equal to the demand for late grapes.
One more late grape is good, West's St. Peter's, which yields fruit
superior in quality to Lady Downe's seedlings in some years, but
it is uncertain.
Barbarossa is another late grape, having enormous bunches. I
have never grown it, and those which I have tasted have been
poor in flavour : the vine is also a bad bearer.
A new grape of great beauty of form and large size has been
FIG. 363. — Standish's Citronelle.
FIG. 365. — Lady Downe.
FIG. 364. — Buckland's Sweetwater.
raised by Mr. Paul, which he calls the Waltham Seedling (fig. 366),
and which appears robust in habit. It is too new a variety to speak
with any great confidence of its merits, but it has much to commend
it to our attention.
The Raisin de Calabre and Golden Hamburgh we grow, but intend
to discard ; and the Muscat St. Laurent we used to grow, but do
not now. It was a good grape, but not to be compared with Standish's
Citronelle.
The French have the highest opinion of the Chasselas of Fontaine-
blcau. It is a white grape with thin skin, but probably a great part
190
MY GARDEN.
sold in Paris do not grow at Fontainebleau, but further south ; for when
there has been an abundant supply quite ripe at Paris, there have
been none ripe at Fontainebleau when I have paid that place a visit.
Colonel Sykes introduced some kinds of grapes from the Deccan
in India, one of which is a very remarkable grape called the Black
Monnukka (fig. 367), which deserves general cultivation. The bunches
attain eight or nine pounds in weight, and the berries are stoneless.
FIG. 366.— Waltham Seedling.
FK;. 367. — Black Monnukka.
Mr. Barrow, the superintendent of the Horticultural Society, called
my attention to its value, and he pointed out its stoneless character,
which rendered it a valuable grape to be used in confectionery :
this grape I shall certainly grow.
We have on trial a General de Marmora in a Looker's vinery, but
no doubt a Poor Man's House is far better than a contrivance of this
kind. There is no doubt that grapes may be obtained by any kind
of long, narrow frames. A narrow wooden frame with the ground
raised on each side would be the most convenient arrangement.
GRAPE VINES.
191
FIG. 368. — Muscat of Alexandria.
We grow several Muscat grapes, such as the Muscat of Alex-
andria (fig. 368), Canon Hall Muscat, Bowood Muscat, Tottenham
Park Muscat. The two first are the most
to be commended, but they demand a
house for themselves, with greater heat and
separate treatment. The Canon Hall Mus-
cat yields very large berries, but has a bad
trick of not setting its fruit well. I have
tried to set it by rubbing the pollen of
Black Hamburgh grapes over the flowers,
but it is difficult to tell whether the process
was really beneficial.
The list of grapes which has been de-
tailed is perhaps the best selection which
can be made for cultivation in a private
garden.
We always get abundance from July till the end of February,
and our treatment is sufficiently simple.
When the vines break in spring, the attention of the gardener
is required. It is necessary then to attend to the hygrometric condi-
tion of the air by supplying large quantities of aqueous vapours ; this
is done by iron tanks which are placed upon the hot-water pipes,
and rapidly evaporate. Some gardeners syringe their houses, but
I think that a mistake, as the proper amount of moisture can be
obtained without syringing. If syringing is practised at all, the wall
and paths of the house may be syringed, but not the plants.
At this stage of growth, a draught is as fatal as it would be to a
new-born child, or to an elderly person, but, nevertheless, vines
should have abundance of air. This is best secured by the back
ventilators, so that there may be an interchange of air without a
current. It is a good plan to give a little artificial warmth every
night from the time the vines start till the grapes are gathered. Of
course when cold weather sets in, a due amount of warmth must
be maintained by night and by day, but, as I do not force, I am
1 92 MY GARDEN.
only giving such instructions as may ensure grapes from July to the
next spring.
As the vines break, wood sufficient to cover the glass completely
is left, and the shoots are kept stopped with the finger and thumb,
so that every single leaf gets the full blaze of the sun and light
upon it : every leaf which is shaded from the light is a damage to
the vine.
During the period of growth, the eye of the gardener must be
vigilant to perceive oi'dium ; and if he even suspect it, the pipes
should be dusted with the flour of sulphur, and it may even be
sprinkled over the vines.
As soon as the young grapes develop themselves, the gardener
must immediately prevent an undue number of bunches, and in this
he must be guided by the size and age of the vines, remembering that
it is a better fault to have a few fine grapes than many which are
spoilt and uneatable.
But the gardener must carry his operations one stage further : he
must thin each bunch, and, as a rule, two-thirds of all which are pro-
duced must be removed. This should be done as early as possible,
before the young grapes exhaust the vine.
The moment the grapes begin to colour, a drier state of air should
be commenced. We empty every day or two one of our iron troughs,
so that by degrees we obtain a drier atmosphere, in which the grapes
attain the highest perfection, and obtain a condition of skin which
makes them keep better. When the grapes are quite ripe the gardener,
if he wants them for his master's use, must take care that wasps,
mice, and birds do not devour them before they are gathered.
When the grapes are cut, the care of the gardener is not at an
end ; the leaves must be protected till the vine is thoroughly ripened,
and till they drop of their own accord. One year I was furious
because a gardener I then employed tidied up the house, as he was
pleased to call it, and pulled off all the leaves : this little indiscretion
cost me two-thirds of the next year's crop of grapes.
As soon as the wood is ripened, the vines may be pruned. I cut
GRAPE VINES. 193
them back to a single rod, but I take care that each branch is cut
back as near to the stem as possible, leaving one plump eye, for in
this eye is the germ of the future shoot, and the bunch of grapes for
next year. During the winter some gardeners delight in scraping
the bark and painting the rods with various compounds of sulphur,
soft soap, and lime. This rough treatment does much injury to the
vine, but no damage can be done by dusting over the rods with
flour of sulphur.
These instructions are simple, and are almost invariably successful
when actually practised ; but if the gardener varies them ever so little,
a want of success will attend his efforts. Let the gardener
lower the temperature at night, expose the young wood to cold
draughts, leave overcrowded wood, too many bunches of grapes, or
the branches unthinned, — let him keep the atmosphere too dry, or
make the air, while the grapes are ripening, too wet, — let him neglect
the mildew for a few days, — and all the labour which he does spend
will be labour lost
The grape contains much potash, which shows itself in the tartrate
of potash which is deposited in wine ; it also contains much phos-
phorus : hence it is necesssary to supply these materials to the soil.
Bone dust or ivory dust should be sprinkled over the surface, to be
washed in the ground during the rainy season. The burnt tops of
trees should be applied, but above all a good supply of stable dung
should be yearly given to the vine border. It is true that when a
vine gets into congenial soil no manure is required. The vast vine at
Hampton Court neither receives nor does it appear to require manure,
yet the vine-growers up the Rhine give their vines manure, and our
vines ripening their fruit in houses are improved by an annual dressing
of stable dung.
We follow what is called the Rod system, but this is not necessary,
as one vine can be made to cover almost any reasonable space.
Nevertheless, a large vine takes a long time to grow, and thus a
number of rods are, upon the whole, more convenient for the horti-
culturist, who desires quickly to obtain his produce.
O
IQ4 MY GARDEN.
Much attention has been given lately to preserve grapes after they
are cut. By removing the bunch with a branch and by placing the end
of the branch in a bottle of water in a dark room, grapes cut in
October will last till June. In Italy they have grapes of the
preceding year as late as the month of May, but then the grapes
appear to be kept in baskets, and the stalks are withered and dried
up, and they certainly are not much to be commended.
Grape vines are propagated by pips, by which new varieties are
raised. To obtain new sorts the flower of one kind is sometimes
set with the pollen of a second : in this way Stanclish's fine new
grape was raised ; in this way Snow's Muscat Hamburgh was raised.
Probably, however, new kinds come mostly from the pips of former
choice varieties. Any variety may be propagated by cuttings, or from a
single bud with about half an inch of old wood : this is placed in a
pot, covered with earth, and kept in a warm house. It may also
be propagated by a young shoot torn out of the axil of a leaf and
placed in a pot. The propagation by a single eye is the favourite plan ;
and if planted in heat in January and grown rapidly, it makes a
large vine before the end of the year.
Any variety of vine may be propagated by layers or by circum-
vallation, as the vine roots freely from any part of its shoots. It
even throws out roots spontaneously, under certain circumstances, into
the house, but I never could determine exactly what the conditions
are, which induce this phenomenon. Sometimes these roots have been
apparently traced to pressure on one part of the vines, but at other
times no assignable reason could be given.
Vines may be grafted, when we desire to change an established
vine to one of another character ; or they may be inarched. Thompson
recommends whip-grafting for vines. Grafting and inarching must
I e practised in spring, just as the vines are starting, and the shoots
will make a growth of ten or twelve feet in a single season. I have
seen both processes effected with perfect success.
Our vines laden with their grapes are beautiful in autumn. The
turf-house, with its depending branches, is ever to be remembered when
MELONS. 195
once it has been seen, showing, as it does, what good results may be
obtained by such simple means.
"Arch'd over head with an embracing Vine,
Whose Bunches, hanging down, sccm'd to entice
All passers by to taste their lushious Wine,
And did themselves into their Hands incline,
As freely offering to be gathered :
Some deep empurpled as the Hyacint,
Some as the Rubin, laughing, sweetly red,
Some like fair Emeraudes, not yet well ripened." — SPENSER.
MELONS,
Our Melons (Cucitmis Melo] are always objects of particular culture,
and one or two hundred pounds' weight are grown in a favourable
season. The seed of the first crop is raised in March in the cucumber-
house, and is planted in April, when the fruit is obtained in June and
July. These are grown in the tank melon-pit, already described
(fig. 96). Other crops are planted in the cold frames, as they can be
spared, for they are not otherwise required after the new potatoes and
early strawberries are finished. A few barrow-loads of hot dung are
used along the centre of the frames to start the plants. To obtain suc-
cess with melons they should be planted in rich top spit loam. When
the flowers appear and when the plants have attained considerable
growth, the female flower should be set by hand ; for, although the hives
are close at hand, the bees visit the frames very sparingly. We leave no
more leaves on the plant than can be thoroughly sunned and aerated.
When the fruit is set and is fairly swelling, little or no water is given,
for water has the curious effect — as I have ascertained by the experiment
of allowing the roots of a melon to grow in a pan of water — of causing
the fruit to be large but hollow in the centre, whereas if water is with-
held the fruit is solid to the centre, and much finer in quality.
To obtain flavour, it is necessary that the leaves of the plant should
preserve their integrity till the fruit is ripened, which may be effected
by preserving the moisture of the atmosphere by saucers of water. The
fruit should not be cut till quite ripe, and ought to be eaten immediately
(> 2
[96 MY GARDEN.
afterwards : then it is wholesome. Sometimes we are terribly
troubled with the melon aphis, which appears by thousands, and
which causes the roots to rot. In July we usually get a visitation
of one species of red spider, but a moist atmosphere at night gene-
rally kills it. During the month of July, but not before nor after, the
growth of melons is difficult at my garden on account of this pest.
The varieties of melons are innumerable. Many prefer a green-fleshed
melon, such as the Golden Perfection or the Orion. I give a preference
myself to a netted melon with thin skin and pink
flesh (fig. 369), such as Williams' Paradise Gem. Tur-
ner's Gem is a nice melon, but it has a tendency
to crack, and then it becomes infected with fungus
and is unwholesome. The Beechwood and Bromham
Hall are also fine melons. There is a little melon
FIG. 369. — Scarlet Melon,
called the Queen Anne's Pocket Melon. I generally
grow several varieties every year, and save the seed of any one which
proves particularly excellent. The white- fleshed melons are not agree-
able to me, or much less so than the green or pink fleshed ones.
The character of melons, probably from being seedlings, is constantly
changing ; the melon with a certain name to-day was not the same
some years back, and will not be the same some years hence ; so
that, in choosing varieties, horticulturists must be guided from time to
time by the kinds of seeds which are obtainable. In my tank melon-
pit, after the first crop was cut, a moderate amount of water was
given to the plants, which started them into fresh growth, and gave
a second crop of large fine melons.
No melon has been produced out of doors at my garden, and I
have failed, even in a frame, in growing the water-melon of South
Europe.
I strongly recommend growers of melons to use them before they get
fungus ; and in times of cholera, if they cannot be obtained in a
growing state from healthy plants, to cast them away.
" Like melons, friends are to be found in plenty,
Of which not even one is good in twenty."
NUTS.
197
NUTS.
Several kinds of Nuts (Corylus Avelland) have been planted at Wai-
lington, but nothing in comparison with the long list published by Mr.
Webb of Calcot near Reading, who has made nuts an object of special
study. Varieties are raised from seed and selected for their superior
quality, and are propagated by grafting on the common hazel, or by
planting suckers from the improved kind. Rivers, always oh the
watch for improvements, has grafted many kinds on the tree-nut, the
Corylus arborescens. In 1870 his grafted trees were wonderfully fruitful,
but that season was an abundant year for nuts ; therefore the question
cannot be considered as settled from that experience. At my
garden we grow the Red Filbert (fig. 370), the envelope of the kerne
FIG. 370.— Red Filbert.
FIG. 371.— Cosford Nut.
FIG. 372.— Cob Nut.
of which is covered with a red membrane. It is a nut of the highest
flavour, but is a bad bearer. Again, we grow the Purple Filbert, the
colour of the leaves of the trees being that of the leaves of the
copper-coloured beech, or even darker. The tree itself is a great
ornament, and the nuts produced are fairly good. This
variety should only be grown for the ornamental foliage.
The Cosford (fig. 371) has a very thin shell; it ripens
early, and, to my mind, it is one of the most excellent
of nuts ; in fact, it is my favourite. The White Filbert
is good, and the Atlas bears in immense clusters.
The Kentish Cob (fig. 372) is large, with a full kernel
This nut is the most valuable for spring use, and with
care will last more than a year. Fir 373._Nut> Male
,., \ r t • i j_i i an<i Female flowers.
All nuts have blossoms (fig. 373), of which the male
1 All the figures of nuts are drawn one-half of their diameter.
I98
MY GARDEX.
blossom is a catkin and the female a little red flower. They bear on
spurs like currant-trees, and in Kent the bushes are carefully thinned
so that light and air is admitted to every branch, but the little bearing
spurs are carefully preserved. Varieties which are called nuts have their
husk as long as, or not longer than, the enclosed nut ; filberts have their
husk longer than the nut. It is desirable to have trees of all the
sorts which are here mentioned, but I am uncertain how far other new
varieties can be commended.
WALNUTS.
Our district has been celebrated for its Walnuts (Juglans rcgia, fig.
374) for many years. Carshalton Park abounds in fine walnut-trees.
Beddington Park and its estate had several, but many of
these have been cut down recently. We have one large
walnut-tree, and also small trees of the Dwarf Prolific,
but they grow too rapidly with us to get much produce
every year, and besides we suffer from spring frost. Walnuts
are mostly raised from seed, but superior varieties are
multiplied by inarching. There is one kind, called the
Walnut of St. Jean, that does not put forth its leaves till June,
and thus escapes all spring frosts.
CHESTNUTS.
We do not grow Sweet Chestnuts (Castanca vcsca, fig. 375), nor do I
know of any trees which are grown in the
district. There is a considerable difference in
the fertility of varieties, and also in the quality of
their produce. They do not every year come
to perfection in this country. The Devonshire
C;. 375.— Sweet chestnut, \ diam. Prolific and Downton are the best kinds.
Chestnut-trees are largely grown in Italy, and the rotten wood is
used exclusively in the South of France and in Italy as a material in
which the camellia, azalea, and rhododendron are grown.
ALMONDS. 199
ALMONDS.
Almond-trees (Amygdalits communis, fig. 376) are hardly grown in
this country otherwise than for ornament, on account _^
of the remarkable beauty of their flower, which is /
i ' j ! I , I . I i ,
one of the earliest of all the spring blossoms.
The French nurserymen's catalogues describe many
FIG. 376 — Al-r-on'l and
varieties, and the flavour of the produce of all my
trees varies, but I have no faith in the names which have been
assigned to them.
I have observed that it is essential to have the wood of the tree
well ripened for it to have much flower. Even with abundance of flower
we have seldom any great amount of fruit.
In 1870 the almond-trees round London, including mine at Walling-
ton, were laden with fruit. We adopted the foreign plan of commen-
cing to use them for dessert as soon as the kernels were formed, and we
had abundance of fruit till winter. Our friends from France considered
them as a great delicacy. Why there was so great a crop in so bad
a spring season was a puzzle to me, but as I was in Italy in that spring
I could not unravel it. In Florence I bought in the market green
almonds as early as the middle of April, but where they came from I
could not learn, but, probably, either from Sicily or Africa, as fruit
of the Loquat was sold at the same time. When almond-trees do
fruit in England, the produce is generally neglected, but, from the
manner in which they were appreciated in 1870, the culture of this
fruit certainly deserves more attention, especially as the tree is most
ornamental in early spring, even if it produces no fruit. In our
village there is a fine almond-tree overhanging the road in the garden
of Mr. Mackenzie.
ORANGES AND LEMONS.
The varieties of Oranges (Citrus aurantiuni] are very numerous, but
they can hardly be said to be grown for fruit here, nor is it advisable,
when steamers bring oranges so rapidly from the South, \\here the trees
2OO
MY GARDEN.
flourish. I only grow one or two trees for the blossom (fig. 377),
which is the glory of bridal wreaths. We have a small Lemon-tree
(C. Limonuni)) and, really, this may be
grown more frequently where there is room,
for even in Italy as far south as Florence
I observed that the lemon-trees were pro-
tected in all the private gardens during win-
ter and up to the month of May. Varieties
of oranges are raised from pips : though
FIG. 377.-Orange blossom. trees may be freely raised in this way, they
require to be grafted from approved sorts to have eatable fruit, .as not
one in a thousand seedlings may turn out good. Oranges may be
propagated by grafting or by circumvallation. The blossom of the
Otaheite Orange has a peculiar odour, which differs from the common
orange. I have already mentioned that in Sir Walter Raleigh's time
10,000 of this fruit were grown in a single year at Beddington Park,
but it is doubtful whether its cultivation for its fruit is now desirable
in England.
THE CUSTARD APPLE.
Amongst curious fruits, I have tried to raise seeds from the delicious
Custard Apple (Anona), which every winter is brought to Covent
Garden Market. The seeds have grown only this year. Mr. Rivers
has a tree, but it has not yet fruited.
FIGS.
*The green Fig (Ficus Carica, fig. 378) is a delicious fruit,
of which there are endless varieties : some are very small,
as the White Ischia ; others are very large, as the Figue d'Or.
Mr. Rivers has eighty-nine varieties in his catalogue. I
have had many kinds, which did well in the back of my
"Ydiam. lg vinery till the vines grew; the figs then ceased to bear,
and were removed, because the exhalations of the foliae of the
FIGS. 201
fig were not good for the grapes. In the vinery I found Brown
Turkey or Lee's Perpetual, excellent ; White Ischia, though small,
delicious ; White Marseilles, most luscious ; Early Violet, small but
good. Upon the whole, I recommend for orchard-house cultivation
Lee's Perpetual : this is now grown with me in the orchard-house, and
yields fine crops of its excellent fruit. The tree is trained under
the glass, and gives very little- trouble ; the only thing is to afford it
plenty of light. Up to this time I have never had a fig from an
outdoor tree, although they grow in great 'abundance on standards
at Worthing in Sussex. The best outdoor fig is the Black Brunswick,
although it is reputed not to force well, and I have planted a small
tree of this in a dry and warm part of the garden, in the hope
that it will gradually grow and bear fruit, as the old standard trees
do at Worthing. The propagation of the fig is very simple ; every
little sucker, every cutting will grow, and it may be freely multiplied
by the process of circumvallation.
THE MULBERRY.
" lite salubres
Estates peraget, qui nigris prandia moris
Finiet, ante gravem quae legerit arbore solem."
HORACE, Satira iv.
Every garden used to have its Mulberry-tree (Morns nigrd} : no one,
however, now plants a mulberry- tree. If our forefathers had not done
more for us than we are doing for our posterity, we should have been
utterly deprived of this delicious fruit. I have a mulberry-tree in my
orchard-house, where the fruit really ripens. Mr. Rivers tells
me that his orchard-house mulberries (fig. 379) are large ;
mine, however, have been small, but so sweet and delicious
as to be like another kind of fruit. I recommend everyone FIG ^l'
. berry, i diam.
who has an orchard-house to have a pot mulberry-tree :
they will be no less astonished than gratified by the excellent quality
of the fruit.
§
202
MY GARDEN.
THE PRICKLY PEAR.
The Prickly Pear (fig. 380) is the fruit of the Opuntia, but the fruit
of many Cacti is equally good ; in particular, I may mention that
of Cactus spcciosissimus, which I have often gathered and eaten in the
months of March and April,
when their red flesh is really
delicious. I have plants of
the Opuntia Rafflcsquiana (fig.
381), which is reputed to be
perfectly hardy. It stood the
winter of 1870 in my neigh-
FIG. 381. -Opuntia Rafflesquiana. bourhood, wllCH the tettlpera-
ture fell to zero. This plant must be carefully watched, as, if it thrives
in this country, it will give a fruit of a totally different character
from that which we have before had.
FIG. 380.— Prickly
Pear.
ANASPOLE JAPONICA, OR LOQUAT.
At my garden there is one tree of this species, which was given to
me by Sir James Tyler ; its fruit, (fig. 382) is much esteemed throughout
South Europe. My tree has not borne fruit
as yet. At Florence, Naples, and Rome, it
is used for decorative purposes, from its noble
foliage. I have bought fruit in the market
at Florence in April, have occasionally met
with it in the shops of Covent Garden Mar-
ket, and have known it to be sold by
costermongers in the city of London. Its
FIG. 382.-Loquat. taste does not commend itself, in my opinion,
to the extent to which some persons who have travelled abroad
appreciate it. I have tasted fruit shown at the Fruit Committee of
the Horticultural Society from English hot-houses.
77/7'; EDIBLE PASSION-FLOWER,
20^
THE BANANA.
One kind only of Banana, the Musa Cavendishii (fig. 383), is grown
at my garden, but it has not yet fruited. This dwarf variety is the
easiest to fruit in this country, and I have seen it in great perfection
at Peterborough House, Fulham, and at other places. One fruit was
shown lately by Mr. Sage, at the Horticultural Society, weighing
46 Ib. The plant likes bottom heat and rich soil. I have tasted in
this country the produce of the Abyssinian Banana, now so much
praised for the beauty of its leaves, both here and in Paris. Fine
specimens of the fruit have been grown by Mr. CunlifTe at Coulsdon.
My plant is grown in my vinery, which is evidently not sufficiently
warm for it.
FIG. 384 — Passion-flower Fruit,
i diam.
FIG. 38. — Ban
FIG. 385. — Passiflora macrocarpa, 3 diam.
THE EDIBLE PASSION-FLOWER.
I grow the Passiflora ednlis (fig. 384) in my fernery, where it fruits.
The fruit is about as big as a hen's egg, and hard outside. The seeds
are enclosed in a pulp which has a delicious flavour, and is much
enjoyed by West Indians. This plant can evidently be readily grown
in any warm house. There is another passion-flower which yields
enormous fruit, but it has not fruited with me, the Passiflora macro-
carpa (fig. 385), the pulp of which is also excellent.
204
GARDEN.
FIG. 386. —Pomegranate,
£ diam.
THE POMEGRANATE.
In this country the Pomegranate (Punica Gra-
natum) is grown for its flower, and not for its fruit.
The first time I saw it on the tree, at Cette, it
greatly delighted me. The juice is particularly
refreshing, especially at times when the stomach
^^ cannot bear the pulp of other fruits, as, for instance,
after an attack of typhoid fever. Its large conspicuous fruit (fig. 386)
is very interesting, and leads us to exclaim with Thomson : —
"Nor. on its slender twigs
Low bending, be the full pomegranate scorned."
EUGENIA UGNI.
I planted many trees of the Eugenia ugni (fig. 387), which was said
^ to be hardy. However, every tree out of doors died. Those
\ which were protected yielded small berries of a pleasant
1 odour and somewhat of a turpentine taste. The general
jjjb^ verdict of those who have tasted the fruit is rather against
Hi than for it, and in fact it has gone out of cultivation. It
\^i£ may be propagated by seeds, and probably by cuttings,
FIG. 387.
Eugenia ugni. which I have never tried. The late Sir W. Dilke took
great pains to bring this fruit into general use.
THE CAPE GOOSEBERRY.
The Cape Gooseberry (Physalis edulis,
fig. 388) is another unimportant plant, which
some people like. It may be easily grown out
of doors, or in the orchard-house during sum-
mer or in the greenhouse during winter, and
FIG. 388.— Cape Gooseberry. gives abundant fruit. It may readily be raised
from seed, and propagated by cuttings.
THE CRANBERRY.
I have made great efforts to grow both the American and English
Cranberry (Oxy coccus), with very limited success, and I have pursued
THE CRANBERRY.
205
my experiments over several years. The American Cranberry (fig. 389)
is grown satisfactorily at Hastings ; and, at one
place, by arranging a platform over a river and
occasionally flooding the plants. If the plants
are too wet they do not flourish, and if they are
too dry they do not succeed. Their growth was
recommended by Sir Joseph Banks. Not de-
spairing of ultimate success, I made three other
plantations in 1871. I am afraid the cold tem-
r • . • , i-rr i, T^I FIG 780. —American Cranoerry.
perature of our winter is a great difficulty. They
require peat soil. Up to this time I have not had a single dish
from their produce, and all my labour has been lost.
" It were long,
Too long, to tell th' expedients and the shifts,
Which he that fights * * *
Devises, while he guards his tender trust ;
And oft at last in vain." — COWPER.
THE CLOUDBERRY.
There are two allied species of Cloudberries, the Rubus arcticus and
Rnbus Chamcemorus (fig. 390), which have been planted. The first lives,
but has not done well. Dr. Fergus, who recently
visited Norway, was so kind as to procure me a 1
large number of roots of the Norway Cloudberry, 3^
which has an historical interest, having been eaten
by Linnaeus when suffering from fever. I have
made a deep plantation of peat, and over this I
have planted the roots in cocoa-nut refuse, but
time only can tell whether they will succeed.
The figure is taken from a specimen Dr. Fergus
brought over. I have since found the plants on the mountains on
Don Side, and heard of it in other localities in Scotland.
worthy of an attempt to naturalize it in our gardens.
It is
2o6 MY GARDEN.
WHORTLEBERRIES.
Whortleberries ( V actinium Myrtillus) come up spontaneously in the
peat in my ferneries, but if they bear fruit the birds get it.
DEWBERRIES.
The extreme beauty of the Dewberry (Rubus casius), as it grows
freely on the banks of the Lea and of the Thames, — especially when
the fruit is covered with its exquisite bloom, — makes me think it
ought to be cultivated where ground can be spared.
BERBERRIES.
We grow the Berberry (Berber is vulgar is, fig. 391), which makes
delicious preserves. Oddly enough, it blossoms well, but it hardly
ever sets its fruit, so that I very seldom get a crop.
FIG. 391.— Berberry. FIG. 392. — Elderberry.
THE ELDERBERRY.
We have three varieties of Elderberries (Sambucits), — the white,
the black, and the scarlet. The black (S. nigra) is the more common,
and is generally used for wine — which, when mulled, is no bad drink
on a cold day, whilst carrying out the winter garden works ; I often
use it with strips of toast, and the latter my robin always comes to
share with me. The white elderberry I have never tried for wine, but
I shall attempt it the first time I can get enough fruit. There is a
scarlet elderberry (S. racemosa, fig. 392), but it has not yet fruited at my
garden, although I have observed it to be a common plant in Scotland.
One pretty standard flourishes in front of the Trossachs Hotel.
THE STONEBERRY AND PINE-APPLE. 207
THE STONEBERRY.
I am trying to grow the Stoneberry (Rubus saxatilis), which is a
rare plant in England, but which is found occasionally in Scotland. I
have brought a number of plants from Scotland to ascertain whether
they can be rendered worthy of cultivation, but experience only can
decide the fact.
PINE-APPLES.
We do not profess to grow Pine-apples (Bromelia Ananits}', never-
theless by a little management we contrive to have a few of fine
flavour every year, by appropriating to their culture a frame with a
flue and return hot-water pipe. They like warm bottom heat, a humid
atmosphere, and abundance of light ; they are propagated by seed when
new varieties are sought, but, for the usual growth, they are multiplied
either by planting the crown or by suckers. We now plant suckers
in pots in the back of the melon-pit in spring : these root during the
summer, when they are in autumn removed to the small brick pit.
By management some gardeners obtain the largest-sized pines within
a year of planting the suckers ; but we have
never succeeded in so short a period. During
winter but little water is given, but, as spring
commences, the tan-pit is made up, and they
are grown more rapidly. They require but
little care or trouble, except to maintain the fKEJ&JJ^Jk. r
temperature of the pit so that it does not fall
much below 70°, and to keep the air moist.
There are various kinds of pines, but one
variety, from its keen penetrating flavour, sur-
passes all, — namely, the Queen (fig. 393). Per-
haps one pound of good Queen pine would FlG> 393" Queen Pine-apple'
go as far in flavouring ices as half-a-dozen pounds of any other sort
Where large pines are required, Providence or Trinidad pines must be
208 MY GARDEN.
grown ; and for winter use the Black Jamaica is recommended. The
best soil for them is a mixture of top spit
loam, peat, and horse-droppings, with a little
sand. The plant should always be grown close
to the glass. The blossom of the pine is interest-
ing, as it flowers at each little compartment,
beginning from the bottom and continuing till
FIG. 394.— Pine-apple in flower. it reaches the CrOWtt (fig. 394).
At the present time there is a great scarcity of good fruits, and
it would be highly desirable that a far larger quantity should be
supplied to the large towns of England. Many gentlemen overworked
with the arduous duties of life would find relaxation and pleasure in
their leisure hours in planting orchards, in superintending the cultiva-
tion of their trees, and in the production of fruit. But the residents
of large towns cannot buy, neither can the producers sell, as both
parties are entirely in the hands of the middle man. The barrister,
the physician, and the merchant can apply their intelligence to the
growth of fruit, but cannot and will not attend to the sale of it.
An improved system of public market is required, which demands the
careful and immediate attention of the Legislature, that the people
may be fairly supplied with the fruits of the market. The learned
antiquary, Mr. Charles Roach Smith, has called attention in a pam-
phlet to the scarcity of fruit, and I hope that the details which
have been given of my experience will tend to diminish the want.
At the present time tens of thousands of a few kinds only of fruit-
trees might be grown with great advantage to the crowded population
of our large overgrown cities. I will name six constantly bearing fruit-
trees, the produce of which would be a gain to every householder in
the country, — be he rich or be he poor: Apples, Lord Suffield and
Wellington ; Pears, Louise Bonne for eating and Catillac for baking ;
Plums, Gisborne and Rochester Cluster Damson.
In concluding my remarks on fruit-trees, I must again observe,
that much is owing to art, little to the soil. My garden was selected
OF ART.
209
for qualities other than that of pomological excellence, and it may
be said of it, —
" Leur jnaigre terrain,
Oui suffisait a peine a 1'humble romarin,
Vit naitre a force d'art, sur sa cote brulante,
Le melon savoureux, la figue succulente,
Et ces raisins ambrds qui parfument les airs ;
Et 1'arbre atix pommes d'or, aux ramoaux toujours verts."
CHAPTER X.
GENERAL FLOWER GARDEN.
" In all places, then, and in all seasons,
Flowers expand their light and soul-like wings ;
Teaching us, by most persuasive reasons,
How akin they are to human things." — LONGFELLOW.
WE grow in the garden many kinds of flowers, and select as
many species of as many classes as we can obtain at a
moderate cost ; so that in each season, as far as climate may permit,
we have some blossoms to gladden our eyes with their perfect forms
or brilliant colours. In the general flower-garden we cultivate Bulbous
plants, so beautiful in early spring ; Perennial plants, so useful because
they remain from year to year without renewal ; Bedding plants, by
which we secure masses of bright flowers between June and October;
Annual flowers, which come up in spring, blossom, and perish after
they have seeded ; Biennial plants, which grow one year and flower the
second ; Greenhouse plants, which require protection from frost, and
which give us flowers when the winter's blast has stopped outdoor
growth ; Hot-house plants, which require tropical temperature, both in
winter and summer, for their successful culture. Besides, we have
rosaries, alpineries, ferneries, and orchid beds, for the special cultivation
of particular classes of plants.
BULBOUS PLANTS.
The first flower which appears in early spring, and delights us after
the rest of plants during winter, is the Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis,
BULBOUS PLANTS.
211
fig- 395)- It is constant as to the time of its appearance in the third
week in January, and shows its drooping head
immediately after the snow melts. In one year,
however, and in one year only, the snowdrops
appeared between Christmas and New Year's day.
Snowdrops are naturally single, but double ones
have been obtained by cultivation. It is only
necessary to plant the bulbs and then to leave
them alone, when the bulbs multiply year after FIG. 395.— snowdrop
year. Quantities of snowdrops should be grown, as they light up the
bare ground in the ferneries, before the fronds spring forth.
The double variety of snowdrop is somewhat larger than the
single, but of the two I rather prefer the single, as being upon the
whole more pleasing to the eye.
A larger species of snowdrop (Galanthus plicatus) has been lately
introduced from the Crimea. The flower is somewhat larger, but the
leaves are much broader and coarser. It is scarcer than the common
species, and differs so little from it as hardly to be recognized
without close examination. Except as a mere curiosity it is a
worthless addition to the garden.
" And in yon mingled wilderness of flowers
Fair-handed Spring unbosoms every grace :
Throws out the snowdrop and the crocus first."
THOMSON'S Seasons.
Before the snowdrops have disappeared Crocuses come forth in
many varieties. The Crocus versicolor is the
first ; quickly succeeding to this are the large
yellow, white, and blue varieties of C. vernns
(fig. 396). The bulbs last for years if planted
in a dry place, and if a little manure be yearly
spread over the surface. The ground dries and
the bulbs ripen in the summer, but, when the
autumn rains moisten the ground, they grow
and send forth their gorgeous flowers. Nothing can exceed the effect
P 2
FIG. 396. — (Jrociib vernus.
212 MY GARDEN.
of thousands of crocus flowers in blossom at one time. Crocuses
are apt to be destroyed by mice, but I have found that early planting
is a partial preventive.
" Crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay,
'Broidcr'd the ground, more coloured than with stone
Of costliest emblem."— MILTON.
The crocuses hardly disappear before Hyacinths (Hyacinthus orien-
tSy fig. 397) blossom. These may be grown in the same way
as crocuses. For out-of-doors it is better to use
the pot hyacinths of the previous year, which
flower with me, if left alone, many years. We
grow our pot hyacinths in a particular manner.
They are planted in a compost of loam, manure,
and sand, and then all the pots are placed to-
gether and covered with earth. This imitates
their natural condition ; for when they are well
rooted, and the crown has risen about an inch
from the bulb — which in my soil takes place about
FIG. 397- Hyacinth. Christmas — they are taken out. A few have their
blossom hastened by heat, while others are placed in the orchard-
house and blossom with the peach and nectarine trees, making alto-
gether a brilliant display. Directly the flowers die down the bulb is
turned out of the pot and transplanted to the border, where it remains
permanently, and will last for years if not disturbed. Those who
desire to grow hyacinths to show the highest perfection of cultivation,
use a pot much deeper than usual, to enable the roots to strike down ;
but this is quite unnecessary for general gardens. Hyacinths are in
the wild state naturally blue and single, but florists' flowers are single
and double, and are of all shades of red, white, and blue, and some are
yellow. The latter colour, however, seems to be a greater deviation
from the natural flower, and the bulb which produces it is more delicate.
It is usual for the finest specimens which are shovvn at botanical
gardens to be returned to Holland, for the Dutch gardeners to get the
bulbs into good condition before they are again shown. Bulbs stored
BULBOUS PLANTS.
213
in this country should be taken out of the pots and dried slowly in
the shade, as the heat of the sun very much damages the bulb.
" And the hyacinth, purple and white and blue,
Which flung from its bells a sweet peal anew
Of music so delicate, soft, and intense,
It was felt like an odour within the sense." — SHELLEY.
Following the hyacinth, the beautiful family of Narcissus blossoms,
the varieties of which are invaluable for rendering the garden bril-
liant till the bedding plants are placed out of doors. Mr. Barr has
studied these, and showed at the Horticultural Society numerous
varieties. The Narcissus minor, from the Pyrenees, is interesting from
its very dwarf habit, not three inches high. The Narcissus Bulbocodium
FIG. 398. — Corbularia conspicua
= Narcissus Bulbocodium.
FIG. 399. — N. Jonquilla.
FIG. 400. — N. maximus.
(fig. 398), or Hoop Petticoat Daffodil, is a beautiful kind. There are
other specimens of daffodil which grow naturally in our fields.
" Daffodils,
Which come before the swallow dares, and take
The winds of March with beauty."— SHAKSPEARE.
The Jonquil (Narcissus Jonquilla, fig. 399) is deliciously scented.
There are many florists' varieties, which may be grown in pots one
year, and then planted out in the open border. They appear to
deteriorate very little with me, but increase and produce a multitude
of bulbs, each sending up splendid trusses of flowers.
N. Juncifolius is a pretty dwarf species. N. maximus (fig. 400)
has a noble flower, probably a variety of the common daffodil
(N. Pseudo-Narcissus}. N. incomparabilis, from Southern Europe
214
MY GARDEN.
(fig. 401), is very distinct, and there is a double variety of great
beauty. When the glorious Narcissus poeticus (fig. 402) comes into
flower, at the end of May, we may know that summer is at hand.
Whilst it lasts it is the glory of the garden, and many roots should
be grown. Near the Lake Maggiore I saw a field literally covered
with this Narcissus, and a grand sight it was. It multiplies very fast,
and forms large patches if the gardener does not tidy up the border
in winter and ruthlessly destroy the bulbs.
FIG. 401.— N. incomparabili>
P'IG. 402. — N. poeticus.
We also grow Narcissus orientalis (fig. 403), with other species.
Considering their importance in taking a place at a particular time of
the year, and their easy culture, they demand more attention than
they receive.
" Then the pied wild-flowers, and the tulip tall,
And narcissi, the fairest among them all,
Who gaze on their eyes in the stream's recess
Till they die of their own dear loveliness." — SHELLEY.
Between the general flower-garden and the ferneries the Fritillaria
mcleagris (fig. 404) should never be omitted. It is one of the wild
flowers of England, of which there are many florists' varieties. The
F. meleagris is not common in gardens, and I have been amused at many
gardeners not even knowing what it was. It grows well with me, and
seeds freely, and most of the varieties are beautiful. Allied to this is
the Crown Imperial, which never does well, and, in my opinion, it may
be dispensed with, — at any rate in any considerable quantity.
An early spring flower of great beauty, which very few grow, and
yet which everyone admires, is the Spring Snow-flake (Leucojum
BULBOUS PLANTS.
215
vcntum, fig. 405) : succeeding this, at a later period of the year, the
Summer Snow-flake (Leucojum cestiviim, fig. 406), of equal merit, takes
FIG. 404. — Fritillary.
FIG. 405.— Spring Snow-flake. FIG. 406.- Summer Snow-flake.
its place. The grand secret of cultivation with these, as with other
bulbs, is to plant them and then to leave them alone.
The Dog-tooth Violet (Erythronium Dens cants, fig. 407) is another
pleasing early spring flower, from Southern Europe. It does not grow
FIG. 407. - Dog-tooth Violet. FIG. 408. —Winter Aconite. FIG. 409.— Garden Anemone
very well with me, but what interferes with it I do not know. It
likes plenty of sand.
The Winter Aconite (fig. 408) may be sparingly used in shady
places ; it has a yellow flower early in spring : a small quantity only
is grown in my garden.
There are many species of Anemone, which I restrict to my
alpineries and wild gardens, but the varieties of A. coronaria (fig. 409)
are flowers which give us colour in early spring, when the ground is
otherwise bare. They have never done well with me, and perish in a
year or two, although, at times, I have tried considerable quantities.
Some of the florists' varieties are single and some double ; and though
2l6
MY GARDEN.
not equal to the natural wild flower, yet they are valuable additions to
the flower-garden. One late anemone, the A. wtifolia, var. Honorine
Jobert (fig. 410), which flowers in September and October, is so beau-
tiful that it should be grown in every garden. Its charming foliage,
and the freshness of its large pure white flower, appearing as it does
when vegetation naturally takes its rest, make it a most desirable
acquisition. It is one of the loveliest of all garden plants.
FIG. 410. — Anemone vitifolia.
FIG. 411.— Anemone hepatica.
FIG. 412.- Ranunculus.
Another early spring flower, the Hepatica (Anemone hepatica, fig.
411), a plant from Europe, is a very valuable acquisition in early
spring. There are many varieties, single and double, red, blue, and
white. The Hepatica angulosa is a magnificent flower, more than an
inch across ; after that the double red is the most beautiful. When
they will grow, all the varieties should be planted, but in my garden
their cultivation is very difficult. The climate does not suit them ;
the leaves become diseased and the whole plant perishes ; and up to
this time I have been unable to establish a satisfactory plantation.
They like good rich loam, which I give them, nevertheless they fail.
" From the soft wing of vernal breezes shed,
Anemonies ; auriculas, enrich'd
With shining meal o'er all their velvet leaves ;
And full ranunculus', of glowing red."
THOMSON'S Seasons.
The florists' Ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus, fig. 412) is really
fine, but it is troublesome to grow, and requires special treatment,
and therefore is not adapted for a wild or general garden. The border
anemones produce a fine effect in proper places. Except the wild
BULBOUS PLANTS.
217
species we have not much used them at my garden, nevertheless I
much admire them.
I do not grow the florists' tulips (Tulipa Gesneriana\ which require
much trouble, and the cultivation of which is attended with consider-
able cost. I like to see a few Parrot tulips (fig. 413) in the borders,
for their extraordinary colours and forms, which remind us of the
FIG. 413.— Parrot Tulip. FIG. 414.— Common Garden Tulip.
gaudy plumage of macaws. Of the other border tulips (fig. 414) I
have put in many, but they always disappear : what the destroyers
are, I am unable to say. The single and double Van Thol tulips
are very charming for pot culture, and are much used for table
decoration in London and Paris.
Francis records in the "Chronicle and Characters of the Stock
Exchange" that in 1634 the Tulipo-mania occurred in the chief cities
of the Netherlands, by which the value of a flower was raised to more
than its weight in gold; and that in one case "goods to the value
of 2,500 florins were given for one root,"
and in another case "twelve acres of land
were paid." " Contracts were made and
thousands of florins paid for tulips which
were never seen by broker, by buyer, or
by seller." To this day the same mode
of gambling in its most pernicious form is
carried on at the Stock Exchange, on things
of even less value than a single tulip bulb.
The Dielytra spcctabilis (fig. 415) is a charming Chinese plant,
FIG. 415. — Dielytra spectabilis.
218
MY GARDEN.
almost but not quite hardy. When grown in a greenhouse, it is very
beautiful ; but out of doors the frosts injure it, and make it appear a
poor woe-begone plant.
About the end of May the Ixias (fig. 416) are most lovely flowers,
but they are difficult to grow, because they are impatient of confine-
ment and require protection. One year, when they were carefully
looked after, my plants made a grand display. The secret of success
is to give plenty of air, and yet protect the plants from frost. They
will hardly live out of doors in the climate of my
garden.
FIG. 417. — Iris.
FIG. 416. — Ixin.
FIG. 418.— Gladiolus
In May, the Iris ("Iris of all hues") is a fine flower. The wild
yellow species is beautiful beside our water, but there are numerous
varieties of the Iris germanica (fig. 417), as well as of the English Iris
and Spanish Iris: these I have grown besides those species which
are gems for the alpinery, and which are described amongst the other
alpine plants.
In autumn the last bulb of all, the blossom of which lights up the
flower-border, is the glorious Gladiolus (fig. 418), of two or three species.
A brilliant scarlet variety is the BrencJileyensis. In the vicinity of Paris,
near St. Germain, this flower is much cultivated in many varieties :
I have brought them from that place. They multiplied rapidly, but
were ultimately lost from inattention in winter. They require to be
taken up in October and carefully housed away from the frost, and
BULBOUS PLANTS.
219
then they will last many years. In the Tuileries gardens at Paris
they have a pretty plan of planting them round the standard rose-
trees, and supporting the flower-stems by tying them to the stems of
•x
the rose-trees.
In summer no plant adorns a garden more than the Lily.
" Fairest flower, behold the lily,
Blooming in the sunny ray :
Let the blast sweep o'er the valley,
See it prostrate on the clay." — BURNS.
It is too little cultivated, but Mr. Wilson, the chairman of the Fruit
Committee of the Horticultural Society, who carefully collects the
FIG. 420. — L. lancifohum.
FIG. 421.— L. auratum.
FIG. 419.— White Lily.
bulbs, has set an example which may lead to a more general culti-
vation of these elegant plants. How lovely is
the White Lily (Liliuin candidum, fig. 419) in
June! What a grand appearance the varieties L.
lancifolium (fig. 420) and L. auratum (fig. 421)
present in September ! All of these and many
other kinds, such as the L. Martagon, thrive in
the open borders. One lovely species, the Z.
canadense flavum (fig. 422), I have figured from
Mr. Wilson's collection, as one of the garden
flowers of the future ; but persons who have
been in Japan tell me that to view lilies in all
their glory they must be seen in that country.
FIG. 422. — L. canadense
flavum.
Many fine species
220 MY GARDEN.
remain to be introduced from California. It is important in their
culture that the bulbs should never become dry. Doubtless some
function is always being performed by the bulb, although they
appear to be at rest ; hence any excessive drought is highly inju-
rious. When planted, they should remain without being disturbed.
Of the common Martagon Lily (L. Martagon) there are many varie-
ties. The Scarlet Lily (L. Chalcedonicuni] is a very showy flower. I
have also tried the L. giganteum, from Nepaul, the flower-spike of
which I have seen, at Paris, attain to a height of eight or nine feet.
It is impossible to have too many species of lilies. They may be
increased by division, and grown in a good rich soil.
" And here the lilies ; by whose odour known
The way of life was followed." — DANTE.
FIG. 423.— Tigridia pavonia.
FIG. 424. — Canna indica.
The Tiger-flower (Tigridia pavonia, fig. 423) is a very extraordinary
summer-blossoming flower. One or two of them should always be
grown. With us the roots constantly perish, and have to be renewed ;
this year I have not one plant from which to give a figure. They
are readily propagated by division of the bulb.
For plants of showy, summer-garden foliage decoration, nothing
surpasses the varieties of Cannas (Canna indica, fig. 424). How
BULBOUS PLANTS.
221
beautifully they decorated the Bois de Boulogne, and all the public
places in Paris, till the French were led to neglect their peaceful
gardens by the excitement of war ! They are propagated by seed,
and the tubers must be housed in winter, though they will withstand
the effects of the climate in mild seasons.
The last of the bulbous flowers which I shall
commend is the Tuberose (Polyantkes tuberosat fig, 425).
It is not much in favour in England, but is highly
esteemed in Paris. When I was a boy, and resided in
the Bank of England, my garden consisted of a few
pots on the lead flats of the roof; nevertheless my
FIG. 425 -Tuberose, tuberoses attained to perfection, evidently liking the
thorough baking they got in that situation.
" The sweet tuberose,
The sweetest flower for scent that blows." — SHELLEY.
There is a bulbous plant which I strongly advise people not to
grow ; it is Aconitum Napellus, or Monkshood (fig. 215).
In September a very striking plant flowers, called Tritoma Uvaria
(fig. 426), which rapidly throws up its flower of scarlet and yellow. It
is a large plant, and should
have an open place in which
to display itself. It grows
naturally on the mountains at
the Cape of Good Hope, where
it is brilliant enough to be seen
from a considerable distance.
Late in the summer, when
flowers are scarce, the Tri'onia
aurea (fig. 427) flowers in the
orchard-house and greenhouse.
It produces handsome brandi-
ng spikes of orange-yellow flowers, and is easily grown.
For the successful preservation of bulbous plants it is imperatively
necessary that the labourer employed in winter to dig the ground should
FIG. 4?6. — Tritoma
Uvaria.
FIG. 427. — Tritoma aurea.
222 MY GARDEN.
be carefully watched, otherwise, in the absence of the gardener, he
moves like an automatic machine, turning over the bulbs without the
slightest remorse. Bulbous plants cannot be retained where the
digging is done by labourers. Labourers in the bulb garden are as
destructive as pigs, for what one digs in with his spade the other
uproots with its snout.
Milton well describes a bulbous plant when he sings : —
" So, from the root,
Springs lighter the green stalk, from thence the leaves
More airy ; last, the bright consummate flower
Spirits od'rous breathes."
PERENNIAL PLANTS.
" There sprang the violet all new,
And fresh pervinke rich of hew,
And floures yellow, white and rede,
Such plenty grew there never in mede." — CHAUCER.
In early spring the Violet (Viola odoratd) is the choicest of our
native flowers. When grown upon a well-exposed bank, where
the plant is thoroughly ripened, a patch of violets in full blossom
makes a magnificent display. There are many
varieties, one of which, the single Russian (fig.
428), is very beautiful. The Czar has large
leaves, and big, coarse, but highly-scented
flowers. The single and double blue Neapo-
litan violets are great favourites at Paris and
Florence, where they are used for bouquets.
FIG. 428. -Russian violet. The colour of the flower is an exquisite pale
blue, and when surrounded with white snowdrops, or themselves sur-
rounding a white camellia, the effect is admirable. With me this
variety is delicate, and, though I have had many plants, not one
survives. It is well worth the protection of a frame. There are
white violets and tree violets, both good. I have a little violet
garden in which the various varieties are cultivated along with the
British orchids. We also grow the wild yellow unscented violet ; and
rERENXIAL PLANTS. 223
an improved florists' variety of it, raised by Parker of Tooting
(fig-. 429), is a desirable acquisition to the garden. All violets may
be readily propagated by division or by runners.
" And beds of violets, blooming 'mid the trees.
Load with waste fragrance the nocturnal breeze."
KIRKE WHITE.
Florists' Pansies (fig. 430) are gay, and some of them beautiful.
Particular cultivation, in a rich soil, is required to grow them fine ;
FIG. 429. — Parker's Yellow
Violet. FIG. 430. — Heartsease. FIG. 431. — Primrose.
and for this reason they are not very useful for the general garden.
There is a scentless species of blue violet ( V. cornuta\ which is grown
for its colour, but I have not found it a very desirable plant.
"And there is pansies,
That's for thoughts." — SHAKSPEARE, Hamlet.
Undoubtedly one of the most perfect wild flowers of this country
and one of the most beautiful in cultivation is the common Primrose
(Primula vulgar is, fig. 431).
" Where pale primrose, with watching wet,
The wild rose and the violet
Open to salute the day,
With strife and envy far away." — CRAWLEV.
The harmony of the colours of leaf and flower is perfect ; and
the whole plant, with its multitude of flowers, is particularly beautiful.
We grow them by hundreds in our ferneries, and it is a grand sight
to see them when their thousands of flowers are in blossom.
224 MY GARDEN.
I have observed that primroses attain the greatest perfection in
woods after the undergrowth is cut. The light is then let in, and
the plants nourish, attaining the greatest perfection in the second or
third year.
The double varieties of the common primrose cannot compare with
the natural primrose for beauty, but may be grown for the sake
of variety.
"The primrose pale and violet flower
Found in each cliff a narrow bower."
SIR WALTER SCOTT.
Bull last year introduced a superb flower to horticulture, called
the Primula japonica (fig. 432). It is, perhaps, one of the finest
plants which has been introduced, though at present it is too expen-
sive for common use. Doubtless, in a short time, the price will be
so reduced that it will come to be universally used for the choice
flower-border, if not for the alpinery.
Ku;. 433. — Polyanthus.
mula j.iponica.
The lovely Cowslip {Primula veris) adorns the meadows in our
neighbourhood. The Polyanthus (P. vnlgaris, fig. 433), which is a
florists' flower of great merit, should also be grown by hundreds ;
some of the auricula-flowered varieties are of great beauty. They
may be easily raised from seed, or by division of the roots. When
raised from seed, it may be sown in a pan placed in a cold frame,
in March, and the young plants afterwards pricked out.
PERENNIAL PLA\ /.s.
225
" Now the bright morning star, day's harbinger,
Comes dancing from the east, and leads with her
The flowery May, who from her green lap throws
The yellow cowslip, and the pale primrose." — MILTON.
The Myosotis syfocstris and its white variety, also the superior
species, J/. dissitiflora and M. rupcstris, which will be described
amongst the alpine flowers, should abound in every garden in spring.
In May and the beginning of June the blue and white perennial
Lupins (Lupinns polyphyllus, fig. 434) are fine flowers, sending up
noble heads of the brightest flowers. They are valuable additions to
every border, and no care is required in their cultivation. They
may be propagated by seed or by division of the roots.
" The snowdrop, and then the violet,
Arose from the ground with warm rain wet,
And their breath was mixed with fresh odour sent
From the turf like the voice and the instrument." — SHELLKY.
Fi<;. 435.— Christmas K(
FIG. 434. — Lupin.
One of the most valuable winter-blooming flowers is the Christmas
Rose (Hcllcborus niger, fig. 435), affording large white flowers when
other blossoms do riot exist. I have had much trouble in growing
this plant, although it attains to the highest perfection a few hundred
yards from my garden, and about twenty or thirty feet higher up
the hill. My plants now, however, look well, as I secured strong
vigorous specimens, and planted each in a few spadefuls of good
Q
226
MY GARDEN.
top-spit loam. This month (January, 1872) we have a grand display
.of these flowers.
No garden can possibly do without its Wallflowers (CJieiranthus
Cheiri, fig. 436) for early spring blossoms. The odour and the colour
are charming ; and the power of the plant to grow from the per-
pendicular side of a dry chalk-pit, or on the top of a dreary wall,
renders it a plant which every horticulturist must love. I prefer the
common mixed seedling wallflowers. Others like the German varie-
ties, but nobody can fail to delight in the double yellow greenhouse
wallflower, which can easily be propagated by cuttings, though it is
now much neglected in gardens.
FIG. 436.— Wallflower.
FIG. 437.— Doronicum caucasicum. FIG. 438.— Variegated Lily of the Valley.
There is a valuable spring plant which is net often grown, but
which makes a great display, called the Doronicum caucasicum
(fig. 437). The beautiful harmony of colour between its bright
yellow flowers and the peculiar yellowish green tint of its leaf, is
particularly refreshing, when contrasted with some of the distortions
of form and colour produced in many flowers by modern floral art.
Early in the spring, the florists' varieties of the Daisy (Bellis
pirennis) show their flowers ; which, however, are immeasurably
coarser and less refined in their character than the wild daisy of the
fields which children delight to gather, and make into wreaths where-
with to adorn themselves.
In the month of May the Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)
is the favourite flower. It is one of our native plants, is readily
propagated by division, and, when planted, it should be left alone
PERENNIAL PLANTS.
227
for years. Every two or three years, in' autumn, I sprinkle a little
manure over the surface, which I fancy is beneficial. It likes neither
too much sun nor too much shade. There is a variegated-leaved
variety (fig. 438) which, when carefully grown in a pot, presents a fine
appearance. There is also a variety of a pinkish hue, which, however
is not to be compared with the natural plant.
After the lily of the valley, and commencing at the end of May
or beginning of June, we have in succession the Pink, Picotee, and
Carnation. The double
white pink (Dianthus
plumariuSj fig. 439)
flowers first, other
florists' varieties (fig.
4.40) speedily follow,
and as soon as they
disappear the picotees
, . , , FK;. 439. — White Pink. FK;. 440. — Variegated Pink.
and carnations embel-
lish the garden. They may all be raised from seed sown in a cold
frame ; and plants raised one spring flower the next year. Varieties of
pinks may be readily propagated in June by taking the young shoots
and cutting them at a joint. These are then placed in a puddle
made by stirring up the earth with water till it is
converted into mud ; and as the water drains off,
the earth comes into close contact with the cutting.
A hand-glass covers all, when after a few weeks
a very large proportion will be found to have taken-
root. These are pricked out, and transplanted in
spring, when they flower. It is important for a
garden to have an abundance of pinks.
The delicate odour of pinks and other flowers
may be obtained by a process devised by my son. FI«. 441.
He uses a glass funnel (fig. 441) with the narrow end drawn to a
point. In this funnel he places lumps of ice with salt, by which a
very low temperature is produced. The funnel is supported on an
Q 2
228
MY GARDEN.
ordinary retort stand, and placed near the flowering plants, when water
and the etherial odour of the blossom is deposited on the exterior
of the glass funnel, and trickles down to the point, from which it
drops at intervals into a glass vessel below. The scent thus obtained
is very perfect and interesting, but is apt to become sour in a few
days unless some pure alcohol is added. By this process many odours
may be procured for comparison and study. To obtain the odour in
perfection the blossom must be in its prime. It is remarkable that
up to this time no work has ever been written upon odours. The
Italians have a proverb :—
" Ogni fiore al tin perde 1' odore."
Carnations (fig. 442) and Picotees (Diantlius caryopJiyllus, fig. 443)
do not strike so freely as pinks, and therefore it is usual to
propagate by layers.
" The fairest flowers o' the season
Are our carnations." — SHAKSPEARE.
Pinks, Carnations, and Picotees are particularly adapted for dry,
sunburnt spots, as they stand drought well.
FIG. 442. — Carnations (two
varieties'.
FIG. 443. — Picotees (three
varieties).
FIG. 444. — Large Snapdragon
In a dry border the Snapdragon (Antirrhinum viajus, fig. 444) is
very gay. It is easily raised from seed, and the colour of the
flower is very varied. A plant will live for years, but severe frost
kills it. Like the wallflower, it will grow in a crevice of a wall, and
it is a plant well adapted to be used in quantities in every sunny
PERENNIAL PLANTS.
229
border, as it requires little or no trouble in its cultivation. Any
fine variety may readily be propagated by cuttings. Florists dignify
the finer kinds with names which are neither
worth recording nor committing to memory.
The Aquilegia vulgaris, or Columbine (fig.
445), is a fine plant, which may be grown oc-
casionally as a single plant. Three or four in a
garden are sufficient. There are many varieties
and several species of
aquilegia.
Delphinium for mo-
sum, or Perennial Lark-
spur (fig. 446), is another
border plant of high
merit. It is easily
raised from seed in the
Open border, and the FlC" 445.-Vanegated Columbine. FicS.446.-Perennial Larkspur.
plants will last several years. The colour of the flower is a most
brilliant blue ; and amongst its varieties there is a pale blue flower
of matchless hue, called the Delphinium Belladonna. There are
numerous other varieties of more or less merit.
For a bright yellow flower, few can surpass the Escallonia
californica (fig. 447), which was introduced into this
country by the Horticultural Society,
having been discovered
Douglas. The flowers are
brilliant when seen in a mass
is, however, a little tender.
We must not omit Pentstemons
(fig. 448) from the list of our com-
mon border plants. There is a
disadvantage attending their use,
as they are killed in severe winters, and have to be protected in
frames. Nevertheless, there are many beautiful varieties which should
Vic,. 447. — Escallonia californica.
FIG. 448.— Pent-
stemon.
230
MY GARDEN.
ever adorn a garden. Some of the delicately pencilled flowers are
to my mind exquisite. There are several species in cultivation.
All the plants hitherto described decorate the garden in spring
and summer; but for late summer and early autumn blossoms we
must have recourse to herbaceous phloxes, dahlias, hollyhocks, and
chrysanthemums.
There is a period of the year when flowers are scarce, as in the
latter part of August and the end of Septem-
ber. At this time the effect of the flower of
the Herbaceous Phlox (fig. 449) is paramount.
The plants throw up stems from three to four
feet high, and, when two or three years old,
present such magnificent heads of flower, and
of such beautiful colours, as to give really a
character to the garden. They must not obtrude
FIG. 449.— Herbaceous PI.IOX. 'into geometrically formed beds, but their gor-
geous display must be restricted to more subordinate positions. A
great many plants should be grown, embracing a number of varieties.
They are easily propagated by division, and varieties are
obtained by sowing seed of the most approved kind, and
then selecting the finest produce for permanent cultivation.
In the background the Hollyhock (Altlicea rosea, fig.
4^0), with its magnificent yellow, red, and almost black
flowers, stands conspicuously pro-
minent behind the herbaceous
phlox. It grows very fine and
very freely at my garden, and the
flower is so grand that it ought
always to be cultivated. It is
easily raised by seed, and propa-
gated by cuttings.
The Dahlia (fig. 451), a melancholy reminder of departing summer,
comes to our aid for the embellishment of the garden at the end of
August and during September. The plant was introduced at the be-
FIG. 450. — Hollyhcc':.
FIG. 451.— Dahlia.
rKRENNIAL PLANTS. 231
ginning of this century : it is a coarse flower, and should only be
sparingly admitted into the general garden. It has bulbous roots,
which must be protected from the frost in winter. These send up
shoots in spring, from which, as cuttings, the plant may be readily
propagated. The Dahlia is a native of Mexico, and innumerable
floral varieties are now cultivated.
In October there are two plants which have an exceedingly striking
appearance: the larger (Rudbcckia, fig. 452), with its brilliant flowers,
can be seen across the garden ; and the smaller (Hdianthus, fig. 453)
-'IK;. 453. — Helianthns decapetalus.
FIG. 452.— Rudbeckia.
is nearly as striking. As they are rather large and coarse-growing,
they must not be allowed to obtrude on more delicate growing
plants. A garden without these plants is deprived of so ma-ny
beautiful flowers.
One of the last flowers of all comes Ckrysantlicniuin sinense (fig.
454), of which there are endless varieties : some tall, with large flowers,
growing to a height of six feet (C. sinense) ; others very dwarf, and
with small flowers, called Pompones (C. indicnm), admirably adapted
or dinner-table decoration, and lasting till the first week in January.
Some are called anemone-flowered, because the flower has a resem-
blance to an anemone ; and there are some from Japan which have
loose flowers. Chrysanthemums do not succeed well with me, but grow
admirably in the north of London, at Stoke Newington, where there
are annual Chrysanthemum exhibitions. I was once president of one
232 MY GARDEN.
of these societies, and was much gratified by observing the pleasure
which the superior mechanics and the middle class in possession of
small gardens took in rearing these plants. At the Temple Gardens,
the gardener, an ardent lover of plants, has astonished the floral
world by his success under disadvantageous circumstances. At the
middle valley of Brighton the gardens at the end of November are
quite bright with these flowers. Wherever it is possible they should
be grown, and those who have an orchard-house may cultivate them
in great perfection by growing them in pots in the open air as late
as possible, and then placing them in the orchard-house, when fine
flowers can be obtained. The flowers of the Chrysanthemum have
the valuable property of keeping in blossom a long time after they
FK; 454. — Chine-e FIG. 455. — Japanese FIG. 456. — Pompones.
Chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemum.
are cut, which is useful in the dark months of November and
December, when flowers are scarce and precious. The colour of the
larger flowers varies from the brightest yellow and various shades
of red, to the purest white. During the last two or three years
the Japan varieties (fig. 455), with loose petals, have come into
cultivation. The small Pompone (fig. 456) varieties are most useful
for table decoration. For exhibition purposes a little warmth is used
to develop the flowers, and all side flower-buds are cut out. I regret
to state that curling irons and other instruments are employed to
manufacture a regularity in the petals of the flowers, which are in
fact treated for exhibition in the same way as the hair of a lady's
head when she is going to a State reception.
PERENNIAL PLANTS.
233
Varieties of the Chrysanthemum are raised from see%d, and then
may be propagated by cuttings, or by a division of the old roots.
During their growth in pots plenty of liquid manure should be given
to them.
There are various species of Peas which are grown, but with the
exception of the annual Sweet Pea all of them take a subordinate
position in a garden. The larger Everlasting Peas (Lathyrus latifolius)
are handsome in their appropriate place, and so are some of the
smaller perennial species, such as L. tuberosus. They may be easily
raised from seed, and the plants will
stand in the same situation for many
years.
I always feel interested in the
Acanthus mollis (fig. 457), as the foliage
of that plant suggested the form used
for the capitals of the Greek columns ;
and when we see it growing, its clas-
sical associations are always pleasing
to the mind. There are several other
species of Acanthus which I do not
cultivate.
The Lobelia fulgeHS (fig. 458) is Fir, 457.-Acanthus mollis.
one of our most lovely plants. It
grows badly in my garden, and constantly dies ; nevertheless it is as
constantly replaced. The leaf is highly coloured, and the flower is
an intense scarlet, and has the merit of flowering late in autumn.
It may be easily propagated by cuttings.
Of late years the florists' varieties of Pyrcthrnm
carneum (fig. 459), from the Caucasus, have been
much cultivated in some gardens. They are not
great favourites with me, as they are somewhat
straggling in habit. The varieties are numerous,
and they have the double merit of being perfectly
hardy, and of being readily propagated by cuttings. c" 4S9thnim. '
FIG. 458.— Lobelia
fulgens.
234
MY GARDEN.
A very showy flower, the Peony (fig. 460), blossoms at the end
of May. There are many varieties ; they are more remarkable for
their size than for their beauty. I have had
various plants, but never have been satisfied
with any of them. There are many fine
kinds which will hardly flower in our climate.
The Chinese and Japanese are reputed to
possess endless varieties of these flowers.
The Gunncra scabra is a remarkable
plant, with ornamental leaves somewhat re-
sembling those of rhubarb. It likes a moist
situation, and it requires protection from
severe frost.
-Peony.
" O perennial flowers,
In single breath your odours manifold
Breathe now.''— DANTE, Paradise.
BEDDING PLANTS.
For summer garden decoration we have recourse to what are termed
Bedding Plants. These are at once the blessing and the curse of
a garden. They are a blessing,, as they give to geometric flower-beds
a display of thousands of brilliant flowers for four months in the year,
and the plants themselves are regular in their growth. Nevertheless
they are a curse, as they are so easily grown that they have gradually
superseded all those plants which our forefathers used to cultivate and
admire. I have seen flower-beds under the drawing-room window of a
mansion where numerous gardeners were kept, without one plant to
adorn the vacant ground till the end of May, the whole decoration being
confined to summer, and centred in a few kinds of bedding plants,
in some whimsical ornamental arrangements of colours. At the present
time all gardens look alike ; the inevitable gaudy Scarlet Geranium
flourishes to the exclusion of hundreds of little gems which should
have their place in the garden of every lover of natural objects ; and
BEDDING PLANTS. 235
on this account, I have restricted the use of bedding plants at my
garden to. their legitimate proportions.
There are numerous varieties of Geraniums, or, more properly
speaking, Pelargoniums. Some of their leaves are either golden varie-
gated, golden and bronzed, or golden-leaved and golden-edged ; others
are either silver variegated or silver-edged ; lastly, there are others
which are zonal and plain leaved. If the plain truth be told, the
floriculturists have worked the pelargoniums out by raising multitudes
of seedlings till the varieties run into each other so closely that one
can scarcely be distinguished from the other ; and thus they have
covered the whole ground within the limits of variation which it is
possible for a single species to assume ; but with all this variation
no new species has been formed. Probably one of the finest varie-
gated geraniums which have ever been raised by the process of artificial
selection is that called Mrs. Pollock, the leaf of which (fig. 461) is so
exquisitely coloured when thoroughly exposed to light and air, that
a single leaf may be used either for a lady's brooch or as an ornament
FIG. 461.— Mrs. Pollock Geranium (leaf). FIG. 462. — Pelargonium.
to be worn in the hair. We grow other variegated kinds which may
be selected according to fancy. All these highly-coloured leaves are
best displayed without flowers, and it is a good plan to pluck the
flowers as fast as they appear. Other bedding geraniums, or Pelar-
goniums as they are generally called (fig. 462), are grown for their
flowers, of which two or three shades of colour should be selected, but
scarlet and crimson should be the predominant colours. Of late
years double-flowering geraniums have been introduced, but to my
mind they are worthless florists' flowers.
MY GARDEN.
Cuttings of bedding geraniums are taken in August, and rooted
either in pots or in the open borders. They are sheltered in the
greenhouse during winter, and allowed as much light as possible.
They are planted in the border the last week in May.
" Geranium boasts
Her crimson honours ; and the spangled beau,
Trioides, glitters bright the winter long." — COWPER.
The next useful plant is the shrubby Calceolaria (fig. 463), which
affords multitudes of bright yellow flowers. It is tender, and requires
to be kept in the greenhouse during the winter, but in warm seasons
it yields abundance of blossom.
b IG. 463. — Calceolaria.
FIG. 464. — Lobelia.
FIG. 465.— Petunia.
For a blue flower for beds recourse is generally had to the Lobelia
(L. syphilitica, fig. 464), of which a very dwarf sort, recently introduced,
is the most beautiful. There are many varieties of this plant, of many
shades of colour.
The flower of the Petunia (fig. 465) is very
lovely, but the plant grows too large and weedy
to be admitted into the set geometric flower-gardens
It is raised from seed, and the garden varieties
which are numerous, are perpetuated by cuttings.
The Ageratum mexicanum (fig. 466) is another
flower of pale blue colour, which is often used
for bedding purposes, and of which there are
numerous florists' varieties. It is a biennial plant.
FIG. 466. — Ageratum
mexicanum.
BEDDING PLANTS. 237
The Verbena (fig. 467) is now much neglected, perhaps on account
of a difficulty which has arisen of late years in its cultivation, as aphides,
fungi, and unknown causes make it die during the summer. A well-
broken bed of verbena flowers, such as was annually grown *at Hampton
Court Gardens, is one of the finest sights in floriculture ; and at my
garden a bed of seedlings which the gardener raised, and which occu-
pied a vine border of about two hundred square feet, was the most
exquisite floral production in the whole garden for a period of at least
three months. When planted round the base of any of my pyramid
rose-trees, they are very beautiful. Florists dignify every appreciable
variety by giving a fancy name to it, which is not worth any person's
while to learn, so long as he obtains a variety of colour in his
different plants, which should be white, tinted, scarlet, or lavender.
FIG. 467.— Verbena FIG. 468.— Heliotrope FIG. 469.— Salvia patens.
(Jenny Lind).
Some species are scented. Varieties may be raised from seed, and
are subsequently propagated by cuttings taken in August, which are
kept from frost in a glass-house all the winter, and planted out the
last week in May.
The Heliotrope, another good bedding plant, is much neglected.
A dark old-fashioned variety called Jenny Lind (fig. 468) is par-
ticularly desirable, but any other good kind may take its place. It
is easily propagated by cuttings.
Salvias are not much cultivated at the present time. The blue
Salvia (Salvia patens, fig. 469) is a fine plant, but it is somewhat
difficult to keep through the winter.
MY GARDEN.
The grand Brugmansia suaveolens, or Datura arborea (fig. 470), with
its powerfully scented tubular white flowers, grows in the south of
France and Italy into great trees, and is said
to survive the winter in Devonshire and Corn-
wall. It is one of the chief ornaments of a
highly cultivated garden, and is easily propaT
FIG. 470.— Datura arborea.
FIG. 471. — Pyrethrum Partheniu
FIG. 472. — Coleus.
It requires the protection of a greenhouse in
gated by cuttings,
winter.
Many persons much admire the Golden Pyrethrum (P. Partkenium,
fig. 471) as an edging for bedding plants. The foliage is very bright
in colour, but I cannot say that it is a favourite of mine. It is a native
plant, and hardy, arid may be propagated by division.
A considerable effect is produced by the different varieties of the
Coleus (fig. 472). Some are exceedingly dark
in the foliage, in fact almost black ; others
have their leaves fringed, and amongst the
various kinds there is great diversity of
colour.
A plant has been recently introduced by
Veitch, the Amaranthus salicifolius (fig. 473),
which promises to be a very interesting and
graceful plant for the centre of flower-beds
It is, however, an annual, although used as
FIG. 47^.— Amaranthus salicifolius.
a bedding plant.
At the present time many kinds of Echeverias are used as bedding
plants, but I prefer to grow them in the alpinery. The Echeveria
BEDDING PLANTS. 239
metallica (fig. 474) is a noble plant, with large fleshy leaves, contrasting
well with other alpine plants. The EcJieveria secunda has finely coloured
light green leaves, and there are several other species of echeverias
and sempervivums which I grow, and which are greatly admired ; they
require the warmth of a greenhouse during the winter season.
It is usual in the early part of the month of May to place all
bedding plants out of doors, and to cover them with a mat at night.
Upon an average, in the neighbourhood of London, the last week
in May is sufficiently early to plant them out ; for however warm the
first week in May may be, yet almost invariably during the second and
third weeks severe frosts occur, and sometimes even snow falls.
FIG. 475. — Gazania.
FIG. 474 — Echeveria metallica.
A wayside plant of Southern Africa, which has a large bright
orange-coloured flower, is a very handsome bedding plant. It is called
the Gazania (fig. 475). It is readily propagated by cuttings, and it
flowers freely all the summer.
Extraordinary beds are sometimes made by arranging fancy
patterns, as ugly as those on Turkish smoking caps, of mixed gera-
niums, echeverias, sempervivums, verbenas, saxifrages, and numerous
other plants, but they are rather a source of wonder than of admiration
to the true lover of nature. Still more extraordinary imitations of
flower-beds are made of white stones and bits of coloured bricks,
formed into a pattern with box edging. The Horticultural Garden
at South Kensington has some such contrivances, and before Bethlehem
Hospital there are extensive ranges of such designs, but whether
240 MY GARDEN.
made by the unfortunate inmates or by the gardener I have never
been informed ; but certainly these devices come under the category
of horticultural monomanias.
ANNUALS.
" The seed, selected wisely, plump and smooth
And glossy, he commits to pots of size
Diminutive, well fill'd with well-prepared
And fruitful soil, that has been treasured long
And drank no moisture from the dripping clouds."- — COWPER.
There are many flowers the seed of which is sown in spring ; when
the plant grows, the flower dies down and has to be renewed the next
year ; many of these may be used to decorate a garden. Care must
be taken in the growing of annuals, for if the seed is sown too thickly
the plants are spoiled, and take even the appearance, especially in a
state of decay, of ugly weeds. To be beautiful each plant should stand
alone: thus one nemophila makes a charming plant, one mignonette
will measure two feet across, a single sweet-pea will form an exquisite
bush ; therefore every kind of annual, even to the smallest Virginian
Stock, should stand singly, and have abundance of space.
FIG. 476.— Nemophila. FIG. 477.— Early Sweet-pea.
The Virginian Stock (Malcolmia maritima), and a variety of a rose
colour, may be used to give colour to the garden in early spring.
At the same season of the year the Nemophilas (fig. 476)— of which
there are several varieties — are very beautiful in the borders; for this
purpose, the seed should be sown in autumn, — in fact, it is frequently
self-sown.
ANNUALS.
241
After the Nemophila, the Sweet-pea (Lathynis odoratus) flowers
(fig. 477), of which there are several varieties. I like to grow only
one plant in a place. I have a variety which is self-sown every year,
and stands through the winter ; it branches in early spring, and
produces an abundance of flowers, and ripens its seed in August. I
have heard that seed-growers sow in August, but I cannot speak from
my own experience: my kind stands the severest frost uninjured. The
Scarlet Sweet-pea should be one of the varieties invariably grown.
Fu;. 478. — Coreopsis tinctorht.
FIG. 470,.^— African Marigold, orange double.
An occasional plant of the Coreopsis tinctoria (fig. 478) should
never be omitted from the garden. There are now many varieties
of this interesting annual, all of which flower in August and September*
The seed is sown in May.
A single plant here and there of the African Marigold (Tagetes
erecta, fig. 479), planted so as to stand out boldly and show itself, is
FIG. 480. — African Marigold, single.
fine for the border. The seed requires to be sown in heat in April,
and the young plants pricked out in May. A dwarf variety of mari-
gold (fig. 480) is very ornamental.
242
MY GARDEN.
The Zinnia elegans (fig. 481) in many of its numerous varieties may
be grown in the same manner, as the colours of the flowers in mid-
summer are really fine.
The large biennial Stocks do not succeed well at my garden, never-
theless there are numerous annual stocks (Matliiola, fig. 482), both
single and double, which may be grown for their beauty and fragrance.
The seed should be sown in spring under the protection of a frame,
and the plants pricked out, when they flower the same year.
The Mignonette (Reseda odorata, fig. 483) is an annual which
should never be forgotten. There is a large variety which is now
invariably grown ; and if placed in a favourable situation, with full
exposure to light and air, a single plant is not only fragrant but
ornamental. With care it may be grown into a tree by allowing it to
form a stem, and keeping it in a greenhouse during the winter, but
to my mind the tree does not compare with the plant grown in a
natural wav.
FIG 482. -Stock.
Fir;. 483.— Mignon;tt<
Fir/. 484.— Everlasting.
There is an interesting group of plants called Everlastings (Heli-
chrysum, fig. 484), on account of the stiffness of the flowers, which
last for a considerable period. It is desirable to sow them in a
frame, and plant them out afterwards, though many will do perfectly
well if sown in a border in spring. The everlasting which is used for
the immortelles in France is grown in my alpinery, and is a per-
ennial plant.
For back places, an occasional Giant Sunflower (Heraclenm gigan-
teum, fig. 485) shines forth. This plant attains the height of about
ANNUALS.
243
six feet. The central flower is enormous, and usually five or six
side-flowers are thrown out from the stem. A small boy employed in
the garden once took a visitor to this flower, and said, " Please, sir,
this is the finest flower in the garden."
The Dianthus chinensis (fig. 486) and its varieties are very beautiful.
The seed should be sown early in March, in a frame, and the young
plants pricked out afterwards in the borders. The flowers are large, and
FIG. 485. — Sunflower.
FIG. 486. — Uianthus chinensis
(Hedwigii).
FIG. 487 — Phlox Drummondii.
finely pencilled, and we obtain blossom in August and September.
Some seedlings yield single flowers and some double, but both are
beautiful. The variety called PIcdivigii is remarkable for the size
of the flowers.
Another annual of great beauty, and much used
everywhere, is the Phlox Drummondii (fig. 487). It
is a plant having considerable variety of rich colour, i
and should be grown every year. It may be
employed with advantage for edging beds.
I have been much struck with the effect which
is produced at the Zoological Gardens by the use
of Chilian Beet (Beta chilensis, fig. 488), the veins of
the leaves of which are intensely and variously
coloured — some brilliant scarlet, others yellow ; and
the large fleshy leaf, and the intensity of its
colouring, make it an important plant for decoration. The seed should
be sown in March or April in a pan, and planted out in May.* It is
R 2
FIG. 488.— Chilian Beet.
244
MY GARDEN.
a large plant, with leaves more than two feet long, so that it should
not be used in too prominent a position, although I find it very
ornamental in my garden.
Another striking plant of rare beauty is the variegated Indian Corn
(Zea Mays, fig. 489). The male and
female flowers are separate, and
every future corn has a slender hair-
like prolongation to receive the
pollen as it falls. It is worth grow-
ing for this phenomenon alone, but
the whole is graceful and beautiful,
especially in warm summers. The
corn should be sown in a frame in
FK, 489-indian Corn. March, and transplanted in May.
Of all the annuals, the most charming florists' flower, for late
summer, is unquestionably the Aster (A. chincnsis, fig. 490), from the
brightness and diversity of the colour of its flower. They are divided
into varieties called chrysanthemum-flowered, pyramidal, peony-flowered,
quilled (fig. 491), miniature, and other varieties, We depend upon
FIG. 490.— French Tassellfid
Aster.
FIG. 491. — German Quilled1
Aster.
FK;. 492.— Garden Scabixis.
foreigners for the seed of these beautiful flowers. Sometimes it is
excellent, and the flowers lovely. At other times, I have purchased
seed which was very indifferent. When I go to Paris I generally
purchase a packet of seed, though I have sometimes had it better,
and sometimes worse, from the seedsmen of this country. The seed
should be sown thinly in a pan, in a cold frame, and transplanted
245
in May. When the seed is good, Asters and Stocks are the most
desirable of all annuals, and a nice bed is a beautiful sight. Good
seed is rather expensive : hence it is a luxury in which I do not always
indulge.
The Scabious (Scabiosa atro-purpurcus, fig. 492) — either large-
flowered or dwarf — is a nice flower, and it is well to have a plant
dotted about here and there. The seed may be sown in the open
border early in May.
A very showy flower for summer blossom is the Convolvulus minor
(fig. 493), the colours of which are chiefly white, purple, blue, blue and
white, and violet. It is a very handsome flower, and useful when
judiciously introduced into the flower-bed.
onvolvulus minor.
FIG. 404.— Sweet Sultan.
FIG. 495. -Evening Primrose.
Lupins are another class of annuals having merit, and yet so very
inferior to the perpetual Lupins, as not to be required when the latter
are grown. There are many effective varieties which may be introduced
sparingly into the general flower-bed. Like all other annuals, single
plants are beautiful, but a dense mass is unsightly. The Sweet
Sultan (Centaurea moscJiata, fig. 494), may also be sparingly grown in
the flower-beds.
The Evening Primrose — a charming plant, which I have seen
growing wild by the side of the Danube (CEnothera bicnnis, fig. 405)
—has a bright yellow flower; it grows about three feet high, and
may be usefully introduced into the garden. It is a good London
plant, and 1 have had them for many years from self-sowing in
Finsbury Circus. The perfume of the flower is delicate and the
246
MY GARDEN.
colour extremely beautiful. It is easy to grow, although it has only
a place in the remote parts of my garden. There are many species
of this genus.
For back places Nasturtiums are useful. They flower freely, and
grow in any garden soil. The different varieties are scarlet, orange,
yellow, red, and spotted. The seed is sown in May.
Where large foliage is thought advisable, nothing will compare with
the Castor Oil plant (Ricinus communis, fig. 496). The seed is sown
in early spring, in frames, and the young plants potted : by the end
of August they are five feet high. Its noble leaf and stately form
are truly remarkable. It is not uncommon for travellers, when first
they see the richly marked seed of this fine plant, to be induced to
eat a few of them ; the violent cathartic properties of which in a
FIG. 497. — Annual Larkspur.
FIG. 498.- Portulaca Thellusonii.
FIG. 496.— Castor Oil Plant.
few hours show their unpleasant effects. These seeds, when pressed,
yield the mild castor oil ; but the seed itself is excessively powerful
in its effects.
The Annual Larkspur (fig. 497) is verY showy, and, when once
planted, it will self-sow itself for years.
On dry banks besides snapdragons, wallflowers, and pinks, Portulacas
(fig- 498) may be grown. There are numerous varieties, both single and
double : they are gorgeous summer flowers, of many shades of colour.
The seed should be sown in a pan and the plants pricked out in
BIENNIALS.
247
the border. The drier the weather and the more burning the sun, the
finer the plants and the more brilliant the flowers. It is a plant much
grown in the hot sun of Italy, but very little in this country; but
wherever a dry, gravelly, sun-baked border exists, there the Portulaca
should be planted.
" Full gay was all the ground and queint,
And poudrcd, as men had it peint,
With many a fresh and sundry flour,
That casten up full good savour." — CHAUCKR.
BIENNIALS.
There are many plants which are grown one year, and form their
flowers the second. These are called Biennials, and, like annuals,
each plant should stand alone, and have sufficient room around it to
develop its beauties.
Of biennials, some of the large varieties of Stocks are splendid.
At Cheltenham I have been surprised at their majestic appearance,
but with me the plants have invariably died during the winter.
For a summer flower, growing in shady places, the Foxglove
(Digitalis pnrpurea, fig. 499) stands unrivalled. It
is a native of this country ; and a single plant, as it
grows in the lanes of Devon-
shire, attains to a height of six
feet, and has numerous side
stems, each having its group
of flowers. The natural flower
is exquisitely beautiful, but
there are florists' varieties which
are highly commendable. I use
. t c 1 . . .
the foxglove in quantities to
adorn the shady parts of my ferneries, and those parts of my garden
where the general flower garden merges into the ferneries and alpineries.
By sowing seed in spring, strong flowering plants are obtained for the
next year. This plant grows in Kpping Forest, and in most woods.
FIG. 499-— Foxglcne.
KiCi. 500.- — Mimulus.
248
MY GARDEN.
The common Musk plant (Minmlus moschatus, fig. 500) grows well
in a moist peaty soil, and frequently comes up the next year when
once introduced into a garden. The larger flowering species of
mimulus may be readily grown from seed in a frame and then
planted out, when it flowers freely all the summer, but it is
killed by severe frost
The Poppy is a gaudy summer flower. The florists' varieties are
innumerable, and indeed very splendid. They are, however, only
adapted for subordinate flower-beds.
The Horn Poppy (Glaucium flavum, fig. 501) and a florists' variety
of it may be grown sparingly, as a plant or two are interesting.
It grows abundantly by the sea-shore near
Brighton, where its long seed-pod cannot fail
to attract attention.
FIG. 501. — Horn Poppy.
FIG. 502. — Canterbury Bell.
FIG. 503. — Sweet William.
Formerly Canterbury Bells (Campanula Medium, fig. 502) were in-
variably grown ; now they are seldom or never seen. They are per-
fectly hardy, and contribute to the beauty of the general flower garden.
Some of the larger perpetual campanulas may be grown, but many
species of this lovely flower I restrict to my alpineries.
The Sweet William (Dianthus, fig. 503), when fine, is a desirable
plant for the flower garden. The blossoms of many of the varieties
are finely pencilled. The seed is sown in May, and the seedlings
are planted out after a rain in summer, when they bloom the suc-
ceeding summer.
SE PLAXTS. 349
GREENHOUSE PLANTS.
We have no conservatory, but only a cold glass shed, yet we con-
trive to grow many plants by keeping them under the vines in winter,
and by removing them to the glass shed or outer air in spring. Indeed
some of my plants are simply placed in the cold frames and matted over
in frosty weather.
First and foremost, the Camellias (Camellia japonica, fig. 504) give
us noble flowers in the spring. The camellias were introduced into
Florence from Japan by a monk of the name
of Camellus, and to this day they are exten-
sively grown in that elegant city. There
they attain to the dimensions of trees, having
thousands of blossoms ; and at one private
garden about 1,200 varieties are grown. At
Florence, and indeed along the shores of the
Mediterranean, they are grown in rotten
i 1 i n • i i i i • FIG. 504. — Camellia.
chestnut wood, and flourish abundantly in
that material. In England such material cannot be procured, but I
have tried rotten tan and also fibrous peat with success, and I am
now trying cocoa-nut refuse as a substitute for chestnut wood, but
am unable to give an opinion upon its merits at present. Rotten elm
wood did not suit the plants ; but it is plain from what the Floren-
tine gardeners told me that our mode of culture is not right.
Camellias are raised from seed at Florence, by sowing it in a
shady place in the open ground. If the flower of any seedling
plant is satisfactory, the plant is named and propagated by grafting :
if unsatisfactory, it is used as a stock upon which an approved kind
is worked. I have raised seed which was given to me at Florence,
but have never grafted the young plants. Out of such numerous
varieties it is impossible to particularize' many ; yet every garden
should possess the double white, the fimbriata, and some of the double
red and shaded kinds. The names of my camellias have not been
carefully kept ; but I consulted Mr. Veitch, who kindly favoured
250
MY GARDEN.
me with the following list of sorts, which, in his opinion, are the
finest in. cultivation :—
Alba plena : double white.
Arch-Duchesse Augusta : crimson, veined
with purple, tipped with white.
Bealii : bright crimson, semi-double.
Carlotta Papudoff: fine rose, marbled.
Caryophylloides : blush, spotted and
striped with crimson.
Comte de Gomer : pale rose, striped
with crimson.
Countess of Orkney : pure white, striped
with carmine.
Duchesse de Berri : beautiful while,
good form, and freely imbricated.
Fimbriata : pure white, beautifully fringed.
General Drouot : rose, striped with white.
Lavinia Maggi : white, with crimson
blotches.
Mathotiana : bright crimson, largo.
Mathotiana alba : beautiful white, large.
Princess Frederick William : carnation,
striped.
Queen of Beauties : delicate blush.
Reticulata flore-pleno : double rose.
Saccoi nova : rosy pink.
Storyii : rosy pink.
Valtevaredo : rose, fine form.
Camellias have hardly done thoroughly well in my garden ; in
all probability because the soil has not been suitable. They like
plenty of water at their roots, and syringing overhead. We keep
them in the Poor Man's house till June, and then place them out of
doors till October. Camellias do not like artificial heat ; it causes the
blossoms to drop off. They live out of doors in mild winters, but
severe cold kills them.
Azaleas flourish at my garden. We have them in blossom from
January till June. The Indian azalea (Azalea
indica, fig. 505) is remarkable for the purity
of the colour of the flowers ; and lam told
by those who have seen a mountain-side in
India covered with azaleas in flower, that it
is a sight of marvellous beauty. We grow
them in the top spit of the neighbouring
common, which is light and sandy, and has
abundance of fibre. The greater part of the
azaleas are simply stored in one of our cold frames, well matted over
in severe weather ; others are forced, to give us early flower, and at
the end of June they are placed out of doors till October. With us
they flower abundantly, and are perfect pictures. Azaleas have the
advantage of being easily propagated by cuttings.
FIG. 505. — Azalea indica.
GREENHOUSE PLANTS.
251
Although azaleas are such charming plants, I have never remem-
bered the names of varieties, and so have trusted to the kindness
of the distinguished florist Mr. Veitch to recommend a few of the
most unexceptionable : yet I must say I never saw an ugly Azalea
tndica, or one which it was not desirable to cultivate. The following
is Mr. Veitch's list:—
Cedo nulli : dark purple.
Countess of Flanders : bright rose.
Eclatante : very bright scarlet.
Due de Nassau : rosy purple.
Extranei : rich violet rose.
Iveryana : white, striped with rose.
I La Deesse : salmon rose.
Madame Dominique Vervaene : rose.
Madame Vervaene : fine white.
Roi d'Hollande : deep scarlet.
Souvenir du Prince Albert : bright rose.
Stella : bright orange scarlet.
It is usual to trim azaleas into ugly pyramidal bushes, and to tie
the branches to stakes. This makes them look unnatural, and spoils
their habit. Upon remonstrating with a gardener at the Botanical
Society upon this barbarous practice, he shrugged his shoulders, and
said he must be in the fashion, and that was the manner in which
azaleas were exhibited at the 'flower shows.
The Oleander grows wild in Spain beside rivers : in
England it requires a greenhouse. There are many varie-
ties. I have a cutting from a tree at Pompeii, and it
grows most freely from cuttings, even if simply placed in
a bottle of water.
Where Oleanders flush'd the bed
Of silent torrents, gravel- spread."
TENNYSON.
Epac5rt.'
have a few plants of the
Epacris (fig. 506), which are useful to
cut for nosegays in early spring ; and KIG. 5o7.— Erica,
also two or three Ericas (fig. 507). Either too much or too little water
is hurtful to both of these plants ; and therefore if they do well it is
a good proof that the gardener understands how to water his plants ;
but if he contrive to kill them, he may be sure he has more to learn-
No plants .show this particular knowledge of a gardener so well.
252
MY GARDEN.
The Daphne indica (fig. 508) is a long time in flower, and the
perfume of the blossom is exquisite. My plants are apt to die
suddenly, without any apparent cause.
FIG. 509. — Franciscea latifolia.
FIG. 508. — Daphne indica.
The Franciscea latifolia (fig. 5°9) *s a plant not much grown,
although inferior species of the same genus, without scent, are com-
monly exhibited at the flower-shows. Although a reputed stove
plant, it will grow in the greenhouse, and may be placed out of
doors in spring, when it flowers most abundantly, and is very fragrant.
F. Hopeana is a free bloomer, but has a smaller flower and requires
more heat than the preceding.
We have had many economic plants at one time or the other, such
as the Tea, Coffee, Sugar-cane, Patula, Rice, and other species; but I
have only one or two now. Wherever I go round London there is one
constant complaint, that the gardeners set their faces against these
interesting productions, and contrive that they either get too much or
too little water, or too much or too little heat
At the present time I know no one who has a
really fine collection, and probably no such collec-
tion will exist until the Horticultural and Botanic
Societies change their system of prizes, and pay
less attention to the production of gaudy florists'
flowers.
The Lasiandra (fig. 510) is a magnificent
genus for conservatory decoration. Mine has
a deep blue flower, but is rather straggling in its growth. '
GREENHOUSE PLANTS.
253
I have a plant of the Balsam of Peru (fig. 511), in which I take some
interest, as I raised the original plant at Finsbury Circus from seeds
given to me by the learned Dr. Pereira, which was named by Dr. Lindley
the Myrospermnm Pereira. Before that time the plant whence the
Balsam of Peru was extracted was unknown. I have had the Tea
tree (Thea Bohed], but have now no specimens. It is an interesting
plant, which every child should know. It will live out of doors, but
will not stand severe winters. I have also had the Camphor-tree
(Laurus camphord), but have not a specimen
at the present time.
FIG. 511. — Balsam of Peru.
FIG. 512. — Acacia longifolia.
There are very beautiful species of the greenhouse Acacia, of which
we have plants. We keep them in the turf-
house during winter, and place them out of
doors during summer. Many of the species
are the most elegant of conservatory plants,
and should be grown where there is sufficient
space. The Acacia longifolia (fig. 512) is
especially beautiful.
The Fuchsia (F. triphylla flore coccineo, fig.
513) is an exquisite flower from America, very
readily grown, and easily propagated by cut-
tings, whilst new varieties may be raised from
seed, or by hybridizing with other species,
such as F. fnlgcns. The old fuchsia stands our winter if the plants
are cut down and covered with from four to six inches of dry
FIG. 5 13- — Fuel
254
MY GARDEN.
ashes. They sprout in spring and form branches three or four
feet high, covered with pendant flowers. This plan appears to be
almost abandoned near London, but at Whitby and at other country
places I have lately seen the plant grown in great perfection. It is
usual to store the fuchsia plants in the back parts of greenhouses,
as it is necessary to keep out immoderate or long-continued frost.
Some of the florists' flowers have been obtained so large *and mis-
shapen as to be positively ugly.
I have a single Australian plant, the Metrosidcros speciosus (fig. 514),
amongst which the kangaroos in their native country delight to live.
It gives a red blossom like a bottle-cleaner, which harmonizes well
with its stiff" dark green leaves.
FIG. 514.— Metrosideros FIG. 515.— Mimosa,
speciosus.
• \Vegrow a sensitive plant, Mimosa sensitiva (fig. 515), every year,
as it is easily raised from seed, and is a physiological mystery.
The Cineraria (fig. 516), an early spring flower, greatly adorns a
greenhouse. The seed is sown in April in a pan, and the young
plants are put into separate pots as soon as they are sufficiently large.
They are kept in a cold frame during summer and in the green-
house during winter, when they form charming decorative plants in
early spring. The varieties of blossom are very considerable, but
without care the plants are apt to be infested with aphides.
Another plant has been much varied by the florists' art, the
Impatiens Balsamina (fig. 517). The seeds may be sown in pans
in early spring, and the plants grown in cold frames in separate
pots till blossom appears, when the pots may be transferred to the
'*/-: PLANTS. 255
conservatory. The flowers of some of the varieties are very fine, but
after all they are not comparable with the wild flowers of the garden.
I have a very curious plant, the Cuscnta reflexa, given to me by
Mr. Terry. It is allied to the dodder, which destroys the clover. It
is commonly a parasite on the ivy, but it is by no means nice as to
the plant it patronizes, as it will grow on vines, peach-trees, geraniums,
and in fact on whatever it can reach. When its stem touches a plant,
it seems to form a union with the leaf or with the stem ; so no doubt,
leech-like, it sucks out its juices by dialysis. The flower is white, but
the whole plant is not so handsome as the common dodder. It has no
roots, but the stems simply twine round the plants from which it derives
its nourishment. I have tried to acclimatize it on my ivy, but without
success, as it perished with the earliest frost, and the parent plant
suffered greatly, and nearly died from being kept in the orchard-house
too long.
Fin. 517. — Tmpatieis Halsamina.
FIG. 519. — Belladonna Lily.
We grow the Rondclctia spccinsa (fig. S1^), from the Havanas, but
we do not look upon it as a very valuable acquisition.
There are many bulbous plants of great merit, such as the Bella-
donna Lily (Amaryllis Belladonna, fig. 519). It is said to be called
Belladonna from the beautiful pale .pink colour of the blossom. Like
all the Cape bulbs, it must be grown in full light, and carefully ripened
afterwards.
" Where, here and there, on sandy beaches,
A milky-bell'd amaryllis blew."— TENNYSON.
256
MY GARDEN.
There is another bulb easily propagated by division, called the
Whitby Lily (Vallota purpurea, fig. 520). Nearly every house in
Whitby has specimens of this beautiful flower, which grows luxuriantly
and flowers freely in an ordinary dining-room. We usually place our
plants out of doors in the summer, and remove them to the turf-house
in October. They will not bear frost : I once lost a fine stock by
leaving them too long in the orchard-house, when the cold destroyed
them. This lily flowers in October, and therefore is so valuable that
many bulbs should be grown. The Jacobean Lily (A inaryllis formosis-
sima) is another charming plant of similar character ; but the whole of
this class of bulbs require care and skill to grow them, to rest them,
and to ripen the bulbs to ensure full success with their flowers.
FIG. 520. — Whitby Lily.
FIG. 521. — (Jyclamei
FIG. 522. — Mesembryantheinum.
Cyclamens (fig. 521) are very beautiful greenhouse flowers which
blossom in early spring. To obtain them in the highest perfection
care must be taken with respect to their growth and rest. The best
plan is to sow the seed in March and transplant the little seedlings
into separate pots ; the next year they blossom well, and the succeed-
ing year freely. The bulbs are then in their prime, although with care
they will grow larger, and yield more blossom in future years. It is
preferable continually to rely upon fresh plants rather than to continue
in perfection very old roots.
I have between twenty and thirty species of Mesembryanthcmnm
(fig. 522), which are mostly plants from the Cape of Good Hope,
They may be planted out in summer in borders. In Italy and in the
south of France these plants are much cultivated. One species is
GREENHOUSE PLANTS.
257
used to clothe arid banks in the gardens near Naples and elsewhere
thus giving the effect of a grassplot. This class of plants, which
has been much neglected, is useful in hot, burning situations, and will
probably become fashionable with the higher class of gardeners.
We have a few Cacti. Notwithstanding their interesting forms
and magnificent flowers, these plants are often discarded, because
they are stubborn, and will flower when they like, and so are not well
adapted for flower shows. This year several species were planted out
FIG. 523. — Echinocactus tubiflorus.
FIG. 524. — Cereus grandiflorus.
in a hot, dry border, and the one figured (fig. 523) shows well the
splendour of their flowers. The Creeping Cereus is a common
species, easily flowered. The Midnight Cereus
(Cereus grandiflorus, fig. 524) comes into flower
towards evening with great rapidity, and then
may be cut, when it will last three or four
days. Cacti are desirable plants to grow in
greenhouses attached to dwellings, because they
give off no odour. Probably the Cactus-house
at Kew is the most perfect glass-house in the
world, exhibiting as it does the entire group
of succulent plants at a glance.
The Cereus speciosissimus (fig. 525) i-s a
plant which created a great sensation when it FIG. 525.-cereus s
was first introduced. Its grand, brilliant flower is most effective. It
requires full exposure to sun, and a long season of rest, when it
s
258
MY GARDEN.
flowers abundantly in spring, after a little water has been given to it.
No plant is more easy to grow if the gardener wills it to succeed,
but it is strange that few seldom have that will.
I have had the Cochineal opuntia, with the cochineal insects, but
the punctures of these creatures caused the plant eventually to rot.
The Epiphyllum tnmcatum (fig. 526) flowers in winter : it is grown
in our fernery. Its pink blossom and elegant form, at a time when
flowers are scarce, make it a most valuable plant, which should never
be dispensed with, A greenhouse in winter is almost too cold for it.
FIG. 526. — Epiphyllum truncatuftr.
\
52?"-
FIG. 528. — Primula denticulata.
The Primula sinensis (fig. 527) is an excellent spring greenhouse
flower. There are many florists' varieties, and one raised by Paul
is reputed to be exceedingly beautiful. The seed is sown in April, in
a seed-pan ; the young plants are transferred to pots, when they flower
early in the next spring. There is a great difference in the quality of
the blossom, according to the stock from which the seed is procured.
There is another primrose, nearly hardy, which is most easy to
cultivate, the P. denticulata (fig. 528). WG a^so always grow many
plants of P. Nepauliensis : they are very interesting in early spring,
when they send up numerous spikes of flowers. It is readily pro-
pagated by division.
There is a very remarkable plant called Venus's Fly-trap (Diojuea
muscipula, fig, 529), which is one of the most curious of vegetable
productions. At the end of each leaf is a trap, that closes the
moment a fly touches it. The fly dies and decomposes, when the
caf opens again, and catches another. I have flowered the plant, have
I-:i-:\- HOUSE PLANTS.
259
seeded it, and have raised seedlings from it, and yet I am constantly
without it. It is a bog plant, and difficult to grow. It is imported
in quantities from abroad, and when the next large importation takes
place I shall try several out of doors in an artificial bog, beside the
Drosera rotundifolia. When recently on a visit to the Botanical Gardens
at Edinburgh, I was delighted with the success which there -attended
the cultivation of this curious plant. The plants were grown in pots,
immediately under the glass, so as to have full exposure to light : in
fact, they were suspended from the roof. The pots were placed in a
miniature bog : a plan which commends itself to our minds as approach-
ing very nearly the conditions of their growth in their own country.
As I have already said, it is one of the most curious plants in the
world, and should be grown
whenever it can be procured.
The Drosera dichotoma is an-
other interesting plant which I
Fi<;. 529. — Dionteu
muscipula.
Fui. 53"». — Dariingtonia
californica.
FIG. 531. — Cephalotus fol'icularis.
There is a shrubby fly-catching plant from Portugal grown at Kew
which I do not yet possess ; and a still more marvellous fly-catching
plant, Darlingtonia californica (fig. 530), which has hairs in the inside
of a tube so arranged, that when the flies get in they cannot escape.
What the precise use of these fly-catching contrivances are, it is difficult
to imagine, unless they nourish the plant : certainly they are amongst
the wonders of the vegetable kingdom.
There is another very interesting greenhouse plant from New
Holland, the CepJialotus follicularis (fig. 531). It is a bog plant, like
Venus's Fly-trap, and it has grown well with me out of doors in
260
MY GARDEN.
summer. Like all the bog plants, it is a difficult plant to grow, and
mine frequently die. On the occasion of the next importation I
propose to attempt to acclimatize them, by growing them in an out-
door bog.
There is a greenhouse water plant which should always be grown,
the Apoiiogeton dystachyon (fig. 532). It grows freely in a pan of
water with soil at the bottom, and it flowers abundantly in spring.
After flowering it deposits its seeds at the bottom of the pan, and
numerous young plants arise. I have known it to grow out of doors ;
it is killed by severe frosts : nevertheless, I shall attempt to accli-
matize it again, as, at the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, it grows
in an open pond in the highest luxuriance, and is there a beautiful
aquatic plant.
Fit;. 532. — Aponogeton dystacliyon.
FIG. 533. — Vallisneria spiralis.
Another aquatic plant, the Vallisneria spiralis (fig. 533), which is
bi-sexual, and of which the female plant is almost exclusively grown
in this country, is always cultivated in every greenhouse belonging to
the microscopist. Under a high power of the microscope it shows a
circulation in each cell ; and, particularly, Messrs. Powell and Lealand's
fg-th object-glass exhibits this feature in perfection. The plant is
easily grown in common soil in a pan of water, and the little tiny
flower upon a stem of two or three feet in length is very curious.
I have grown the splendid Nymph&a ccerulea with perfect success
in my vinery, as well as Limnocharis Humboldtii, and many other
aquatics ; but water plants require full sunlight, or to be grown close
to the glass, or they will not succeed. The vines, however, give so much
GREENHOUSE PLANTS. 261
shade that I am now unable to cultivate them. Wherever full sun-
light can be given, these charming plants should be grown. I know
nothing more delightful than a greenhouse or stove pond, where
we can be gratified by the observation of many of these aquatic
beauties.
At the end of the orchard-house there is a simple glass shed, where
there is abundance of air, and where our conservatory plants blossom
in great magnificence. There are no means of warming the structure,
but from March till October there is always abundance of blossom.
Here the azaleas bloom in all their glory, and very much finer than
they do out of doors in Italy. Here, too, the camellias flower, and
afterwards the pelargoniums, lilies, and fuchsias. Here, in early
spring, a few pot tea-roses gladden us with their welcome blossoms ;
we have at most times a blaze of the finest flowers at the minimum
of cost, and the flowers are set off with hardy ferns growing in the
greatest luxuriance.
STOVE PLANTS.
We have not a stove, yet we manage to grow one or two species
in the cucumber-house or in the fernery. Torenia asiatica (fig. 534) is
a favourite flower of mine. It requires careful treatment, especially
in winter, when it likes
light and dryness, but
when growing it requires
more moisture. It has
several times died out
with me, but as it grows
freely from cuttings, I
have SOOn replaced it by FIG. 534.— Torenia asiatica. FIG. 535.— Tradescantia discolor.
others received from a friend.
Tradescantia discolor (fig. 535) is a common plant, growing as freely
as a weed. It, however, has one of the most beautiful of all leaves,
glistening like glass. It flourishes in the fernery, and is perhaps second
262
MY GARDEN.
only to the lovely An&ctochilns argentcus. Another plant with beautiful
foliage is the Variegated Pine (fig. 536). It is beautiful in leaf, but is
still more lovely when in fruit : for the adornment of the dinner-table
nothing can surpass it. This plant requires heat, but grows well in
the cucumber-house.
F.G. 536. — Variegated Pine.
At different times we have had many species of Begonias.
They have mostly been found larger than we could accommodate ;
nevertheless, the one figured (fig. 537) flowers well in the fernery, and
is peculiarly adapted to that situation, as its red flower is ornamental.
Some of the Begonias have exquisite foliage.
I have figured Begonia rex (fig. 538). At various
times I have had many of these plants ; and one
particularly, the Climbing Be-
gonia, is a very interesting
addition to the garden.
The different species of
Marantas afford very fine
foliage. The Maranta zebrina
(fig. 539) is the most beautiful.
In order to reach the highest
perfection, it should be
planted out in peat soil and Flc- 539-— Manama /ei.H.Ki.
grown freely, when its leaves attain their largest size and their finest
colour. The Maranta Warsaiviczii, M. rcgnlis, M. fasciata, M. iiricaus,
M. i>ittatay and other species, have also beautiful leaves.
FIG. 538. — Begonia rex.
PLANTS.
"As for the leaves, that in the garden bloom,
My love for them is great, as is the good
Dealt by the Eternal Hand thai tends them all."
PANTK, Paradise.
There are many varieties ot Croton which are exceedingly beautiful ;
of these the C. variegatum angustifoliuin (fig. 540) is most desirable,
for the grace of its long narrow leaves, which are pendant. Small
croton plants are very beautiful on the dinner- table.
FIG. 540.— Croton angusjtifolium..
'Fro. 54J. — AJoeasia metallic.
The Alocasia metallica (fig. 541) is another extraordinary plant from
Borneo, which requires a stove temperature, and yields most splendid-
looking leaves. It, however, occupies too much space in the limited .stove-
house which I possess. Amongst economic Stove plants I have had
the sugar-cane, the pepper, and the coffee plant, — all to my mind highly
interesting, though they never get as much attention as other plants.
Amongst the stove bulbs the Gloxinias (fig. 542) are easily grown
and present great varieties. They may be readily
propagated by leaves which, when pegged upon
the earth, form numerous little bulbs. Varieties
can also be raised from seed. We propagate
both kinds in the Cucumber-house, — the one
with upright flowers, the other with drooping
blossoms.
The Pancratiums arc also charming hot-house F»-. 54*.
bulbs. I have the P. zcylanicinn (fig. 543), which grows well in my
MY GARDEN.
glass fernery, and at Christmas time, when in flower, is so delicately
beautiful that on one day it was the finest flower in the garden.
FIG. 544-— Achimenes.
FIG. 543. — Pancratium zeylaiiicuin.
There is also another class of plants, the Achimenes (fig. 544), of
which there are numerous varieties of different colours. They occupy
almost too much space for us, yet certainly a few should be grown.
They have little bulbs which can be preserved from year to year by
keeping the pots free from frost.
Amongst the various plants having beautiful leaves, we may par-
ticularly note the Caladiums. They, however, take up much room, and
therefore I have almost entirely discontinued their growth, as they
exclude plants of higher merit.
Nevertheless, their leaves are
exceedingly beautiful, and per-
haps one of the dwarf varieties,
the Caladium argy rites (fig. 545 )>
is the best adapted for private
gardens. Their culture is easy,
as they simply require warmth
and moisture.
There is perhaps no bulbous plant of recent introduction which
adorns a stove-house more than the Euckaris amazonica (fig. 546), a
ovely plant, which has a white flower of surpassing beauty, much used
at Covent Garden Market for nosegays. It requires stove heat : I lost
FIG. 545.- Caladiur
argyrites.
FIG. 546. — Eucharis amazonica.
STOVE PLANTS. 265
a fine plant by submitting it to greenhouse treatment during winter.
The excellence of this charming plant is so great that it should never
be absent from any gentleman's garden where there is a house having
sufficient warmth for its growth.
One of the curiosities of the vegetal kingdom is the Semaphore
plant, the Desmidium gyrans (fig. 547). Under favourable circumstances
the pinna of the leaves move up and down in
a manner similar to the semaphore by which
telegraphic messages were transmitted before
the voltaic battery gave to us the means of
working the electric telegraph. I have watched
with great interest the movements of this
plant at Kew, and was so desirous to watch
it again that I begged plants from thence and FlG' 547.-semaphore plant.
from the Botanical Society. Strange to say, however, in my garden
I never on one occasion saw the plant move ; but why it has always
falsified its name I am totally at a loss to explain.
We do not grow Stove Palms, as they require much space. It is
interesting to plant date-stones, which readily grow, and soon make fair-
sized plants. They require almost a stove temperature during winter,
but will live out of doors in summer. The Date Palm will not grow
further north than the shores of the Mediterranean, and even as far south
as Naples it will not ripen its fruit, which perishes in winter. Palms
and Cycads are very desirable plants for warm con-
servatories. At Bordighera, on the Riviera, beside
the Mediterranean, the Palms are grown for the
decoration of St. Peter's at Rome on Palm Sunday.
The Cape Jasmine (Gardenia florida, fig. 548)
is one of the most highly and deliciously scented
plants. I have had many fine plants, but they have
always perished, because they require warmth at FIG. 548.— Gardenia florida.
the roots and abundance of light. Those grown for the flower markets
are usually cultivated in a warm tan-pit immediately under the light.
They are amongst the most charming of stove plants.
266
MY GARDEN.
Another stove plant, Poinscttia pulcJicrrima (fig. 549), is very much
employed for table decoration in London. The flower has a circle of
bright scarlet which renders it showy, and it
gives colour in the winter time in the fernery
when colour is valuable. Except for these
purposes it is not commendable. It flowers at
the top of a straggling shoot, which causes the
whole plant to be somewhat ungraceful. I
find that the best plan is to turn the plants
out of doors in summer and to place them
FIG. 549.— Poinsettia pulcherrima. m }ieat to flower ill October.
Erasmus properly writes, that " one piece of ground will not hold
all sorts of plants."
Loudon has described upwards of twenty thousand plants as being
cultivated in England. It is manifest that no private garden could
contain such a number ; therefore a selection must be made according
to the position and the opportunities afforded in each particular case.
I have described those we more commonly grow, of which some are
selected for their intrinsic beauty, as the primrose ; some for their odour,
as the violet.; some for their rarity, as the Cuscuta reflexa ; some for
their curious contrivances, as Venus's Fly-trap ; some for their associa-
tions, as the Linncea borealis ; some for giving us blossom under trees, as
the foxglove ; and many for affording us flowers at various and different
seasons of the year. The plants which I have enumerated will suffice
for most general flower gardens as a basis of plant growing ; and if
every year two or three other plants are added, the garden will have
abundant attractions, and gwe every enjoyment which cultivation is
capable of affording.
Looking at the range of plants which we cultivate, there is much
to interest and delight us on our visits to the garden.
" And with childlike, credulous affection
We behold their tender buds expand ;
Emblems of our own great resurrection,
Emblems of the bright and better land."— LONCFKI .LOW.
EFFECT oi< I;/<:X/-:KAL
267
The flowers of our general garden merge into those of the alpi-
neries on the one hand, and into our rosaries and ferneries on the
other ; whilst the climbing plants are distributed so as to be effective
at all parts of the garden. The number which I have described is
as large as can be readily managed or fully observed with my present
appliances. The greater part of those which have been figured should
never be omitted to be grown ; but every year some novelty may be
added, to prevent even the loveliest scene from becoming monotonous,
from the same picture being continually presented to the mind.
" I woll nat long hold you in fable
Of all this garden delectable,
I mote my tongue stinten nede,
For I ne may withouten drede
Naught tellen you the beautie all,
Ne halfe the bountie therewithall."— CHAUCER.
CHAPTER XL
SPECIAL FLOWER GARDEN, ETC.
" Bless me, what a delightful prospect is here ! And so it ought
to be, for this garden was designed for pleasure,— but for honest
pleasure ; the entertainment of the sight, the smell, and the
refreshment of the very mind." — ERASMUS.
IN addition to the flowers which are grown in the general flower
garden, it is usual for the floriculturist to have some speciality
of his own, in which he takes particular delight. I must confess that
I am a general lover of flowers, and do not concentrate my attention
upon any one group. Nevertheless I have rosaries, climbing plants,
orchids, and alpine plants, which are my special flowers.
THE ROSARIES.
" Salut, reirie des fleurs, salut, vermeille rose !
A peine le matin a vu ta fleur dclore,
Cue les jeunes zephyrs, d'un doux zele emportes,
Racontent ta naissance aux bosquets enchante's." — CHENEDOLLE.
Of all the florists' flowers, — that is to say, of all the flowers which
have been altered in character by careful selection, and by the cultivation
of the gardener, — the rose holds perhaps the first rank. Nine persons
out of ten declare that it is their favourite flower ; nevertheless I have
looked at the wild rose over and over again, and asked myself whether,
upon the whole, nature untouched is not far more perfect than nature
improved by art. The Rose is used as a mystical emblem by the
Church of Rome, to which Dante alludes when he writes —
, " Here is the rose
Wherein the Word Divine was made incarnate."
THE ROSARIES. 269
Pliny enumerates twelve varieties cultivated in Italy. What would
he have said to the innumerable varieties which are now grown in
our gardens ?
Our cultivated roses are extremely beautiful, and we grow them in
the greatest perfection. Roses are essentially plants of light and air, so
much so, that they like to be exposed to the full light of the sun and to
the air of heaven,, and very ill bear the smoke of our London gardens,
or even of the suburbs. But with light and air, and an annual top
dressing of manure over the roots, they may be grown with ease and
success. My garden yields roses nine months out of the twelve, and
in the months of June and July tens of thousands of roses are in flower
at the same time.
" Of roses there were great wone,
So faire were never in Rone."
There is a lovely little rose, the Rose de Meaux, which is one of the
earliest to blossom in May, and is highly fragrant. It is delicate in
its growth, but may be readily propagated by division, or rather by
suckers.
Next in order of flowering come the Scotch Roses (fig. 55°)» which
have many varieties of different shades of colour.
They are beautiful twice in the year, first when
covered with the otto-of-rose-like odoriferous
flowers ; and later, when the flowers are passed,
and are succeeded by their seed pods. The
fancy of florists for Scotch roses is a thing of
the past, but I have many plants, and no
gardener should be without them, as they are FIG. 550.- Scotch Rose,
most readily propagated from suckers, and are cultivated without
any trouble. Formerly there were numerous varieties, but I do not
know where they can now be procured.
The Austrian Briars are so brilliant when in flower that they are
distinctly visible across the garden. They are difficult to cultivate,
and cannot bear the slightest taint of smoke, yet no garden should
be without them. The Persian Yellow (fig. 551) is the best variety.
2 7o MY GARDEN.
Provence roses are not much cultivated at the present time. The
old Cabbage rose, so beloved by our forefathers,
and the fringed Provence, should always hold
a place in our gardens.
Damask roses afford us one or two good
varieties, such as Madame Hardy and Madame
Zoutman.
Rosa alba contains Madame Legras St.
Germains, and Princesse de Lamballe.
FIG. 551. — Persian Yellow Rose. . . _
Hybrid China roses nave magnificent
varieties in Blairii, Chenedolle, and Madame Plantier ; and hybrid
Bourbon roses afford us fine varieties in Charles Lawson, Coupe d'Hebe,
and Paul Ricaut.
However, all these blossom but once in the year, and therefore
their growth is now proportionally disregarded for those roses which
bloom, take a little rest, and then bloom again.
The Hybrid Perpetual rose, which originated from an artificial
cross between the China and other roses with the Provence rose, flowers
from June till frost puts an end to the blossom, and is the rose
of the present day for the garden. The varieties of it are legion, as
they have been raised from seed by horticulturists. The love for any
particular florists' flower is subject to the caprice of fashion, and
varies year by year. The pet of one period is the discarded one
of another. The same rose to which the judges award a prize one
day injures an exhibitor's chance another; but the wild flower satisfies
the eye from century to century, and what delighted Horace and
Virgil will continue to delight our grandchildren's grandchildren.
With regard to the innumerable varieties of hybrid roses, who is to
decide upon their relative beauty ? My verdict — not caring whether
a variety is new or old — would differ from that of the rose-grower
who delights in new varieties. In all matters of rose fashion I con-
sult Mr. Wood of Maresfield, who grows many acres of roses. This
eminent rose cultivator considers that at the present day the following
twelve are the finest in cultivation : —
THE ROSARIES.
271
THE BEST TWELVE HYBRID PERPETUAL ROSES.
Alfred Colomb. Eliza Boelle.
Aurore du Matin. La France.
Baroness Adolphe de Rothschild. Marie Baumann.
Charles Lefebvre. Marquise de Mortcmart.
Duke of Edinburgh. Prince Humbert.
Edwin Morren. Xavier Olibo.
He has also marked 160 more varieties as indispensable, and many
FIG. 552. — Baroness -Adolphe de Rothschild,
Fro, 553, — General Miloradowitsch.
he has not marked I should certainly not dispense with. These
perpetual roses are beautiful when in bloom.
We grow several hundred varieties of roses,
and the best plan for the amateur is to
commence with at least two hundred good
kinds, and afterwards to add single speci-
mens as his fancy may dictate. I have
figured the Baroness Adolphe de Rothschild
(fig. 552), of a delicate rose colour, General FIG. 554.-ciovis.
Miloradowitsch (fig. 553), light red ; Clovis (fig. 554), bright red ;
FIG. 555.— Madame Harriot. Flt;- 5S&— Centifolb ro-oa.
Madame Harriot (fig. 555), carmine red ; Centifolia rosca (fig. 556), bright
272 MY GARDEN.
pink; and John Hopper (fig. 557), rose with crimson in the centre.
I have also figured a new climbing hybrid perpetual rose, Princess
FIG. 557.— John Hopper. FIG. 558. -Princess Louise Victoria.
Louise Victoria (fig. 558), introduced by Mr. Knight, Hailsham,
Sussex. The tree has not yet flowered with me, but it is reputed to
be a very fine rose.
" I love well such roses red."
These varieties of hybrid perpetual roses are hardy in this country.
At Wildbad in Germany they are said to be killed by the frost, and
I was not a little amused one November to see all the heads of the
standards bent down, and covered with earth for protection, while at
that time my trees still yielded an occasional flower.
" Gather therefore the Rose, whilst yet in prime,
For soon comes age, that will her pride deflower."
SPENSER, Fairy Queen.
New varieties are raised from seed, but it does not often ripen in
this country, and many a seed must be planted before a good rose can
be obtained. They may be multiplied by layers or cuttings, but the
latter process is very difficult and uncertain. To propagate by cuttings,
ripe wood is placed in a pot in a cold frame, for five or six weeks. This
pot is then placed in a gentle hot-bed, when the buds will start and
root. Scarcely one cutting in a hundred succeeds. Roses which are
forced in pots in early spring yield cuttings the more likely to strike.
Owing to the difficulty in rearing cuttings, there are but feW hybrid
perpetuals on their own roots.' The general mode of propagating any
variety is by budding in summer. It is best performed after mid-
summer, as soon as the buds are plump, and the bark will run from the
THE ROSARIES.
173
shoot. It is usual to place these buds either on the dog rose or on the
mannetti stock. But the mannetti stock throws up suckers, which are
a great abomination, as they rob the choice rose, and appropriate all
the nourishment of the plant to themselves unless it is very carefully
looked after, and the suckers removed by the gardener.
When we have obtained a hybrid perpetual plant, we have to decide
how we are to grow it.
It is a common fashion to make a rose-tree look like a mop with the
handle stuck in the ground. This form the gardener calls a standard,
and he obtains it by working his rose on to a bare stick, about four feet
high, of the common dog rose. This
stick is rarely strong enough to sustain
the weight of the head, but requires an
iron staff, so that the mop head appears
to come out of two sticks. At the top of
this head branches of flowers arise. I
have always disliked this mode of cul-
ture, and the more I observe it the
greater this dislike becomes. I have
gradually succeeded in looking on this
unnatural mode of cultivation as a
horticultural mistake, and so whenever
my standards die I do not replace them.
I cultivate my roses as pyramids from
four to six feet high, and three or four
feet across. The appearance of the tree
here figured is surpassingly fine when
covered with its perfect blossoms, and
I think that no one who saw my
pyramids would ever think of growing-
standards again.
One of these pyramidal perpetual rose-trees, grown on the Croquet
ground (fig. 559), had at one time 144 blossoms open, and forty buds
nearly ready to expand, besides which fifty more roses had either
T
IMG. 55> — Pyramid Rose-tree.
274 MY GARDEN.
fallen or bad been cut; a number which no other mode of cultivating
a tree could produce.
When we cultivate rose-trees on the mannetti stock we plant them
deep, as then the rose itself frequently sends forth roots, and the stock
perishes, an event much to be desired. The training of the tree after-
wards is very simple. During the summer any very coarse shoot is
topped by the finger and thumb, otherwise the tree is allowed to
grow freely, and the shoots stand through the winter till the end of
February or beginning of March, when they should be cut back.
Where the ugly standards are grown they should be cut back to
a prominent eye, but that eye should always point outwards. Where
roses are grown as dwarfs, the shoots should be cut back to within a foot
or two of the ground ; but when we desire to grow a tree in the form of
one of my beautiful pyramids, we cut it roughly in the shape of a Jack-
in-the-Green, and maintain it thus, so far as we can, by summer pinching
and spring pruning. It is advisable to cut rose-trees as late in spring
as possible, as by this plan their flowering shoots come late, and then
the blossom is finer. If they are cut too early, the shoots are liable
to be damaged by frosts ; and if cut too late, the trees are exhausted
by taking off growing shoots. In this respect every season presents
a difference ; but by cutting the trees at the time of incipient growth,
the gardener cannot fail to have a fine crop of roses.
As out of nothing nothing can come, so roses cannot be produced
without a suitable manure. The best plan is to keep a good layer of
manure over the roots all the summer, taking care that none is placed
within six inches of the stem, as it is apt to injure it ; but, as the manure
looks unsightly on the ground, it is generally put on in the month
of November instead of in the summer, for it will then rot and soak
into the ground during the winter. Manure water in summer promotes
the growth of rose-trees.
There exists a notion that wherever a good cabbage will grow
a rose will grow ; and as a cabbage loves an ample supply of
manure, so a rose requires an equally rich scil and abundance of
the food of plants.
TJCKY PKOGNOSTICATIONS.
isville Commercial says: "The goose-
idictions are perhaps more close-
d in Kentucky than anywhere else,
y be called the Kentucky weather
In many parts of the state the
onsult it, and prepare for hand-
crops in accordance with its pre-
It is said that there is a family in
I county that have fifty of these
)hets carefully laid away, and de-
not one of them made a mistake in
jdictions. Let us turn to this
>phecy. We must take the breast-
ilast Spring's goose— none other
3r the prophesy does not extend
le year in which the goose is
Thanks to a friend we have such
It must be divided into three dif-
rts, which represents the three di-
E Winter. The breast bone of a
ranslucent, but at places has cloud-
upon it. These blots denote cold
Looking at the bone before us,
little cold weather about the first
iber, which we have realized, and
nother blot beyond the centre of
denoting cold weather about the
January; this cloud we are pass-
and so far our little prognosticator
d us right. We are to have warmer
if ter a few days, but the worst is to
'he darkest blots are near the end
no, and if the prophecy fails not.
ill verify the saying of coming in
ib and going out like a roaring
ir coldest weather will come after
le of February, and our warmest
be required for the parting days of
ad the first days of Spring. This
)se bone prophecy, and as we have
of a good old farmer that it has
I for fifty years, we would advise
y in of a good supply of coal, and
ireparations to meet cold weather
goose bone has said it, and old
•ill be after young Spring with a
icicle."
THE ROSARIES.
esent time gardens are chiefly embellished by
ve ought not to forget how much they have been
»y China roses, which blossom from May till
on China is most excellent in quality, and the
dy of the Lake and Mrs. Bosanquet, are very
tiny plant, with small flowers, called the Fairy
utilized at Naples to form an edging round the
"feet is pleasing, and I am propagating a number
anner. China roses are very easily propagated
the end of May, which are covered over with a
om heat applied, when flowering plants are
d of the year. China roses are as easy to
-e difficult.
FIG. 561. — Souvenir dc Malmaison.
give us some fine plants, such
as
JLhe lie de Bourbon roses give us some fine plants,
Acidalie, Baronne de Noumont, Catherine Guillot, Louise Margottin,
and Rev. H. H. Dombrain. There is one variety of which it is quite
necessary to have many plants, and that is the Souvenir de Malmaison
(fig. 561). It flowers in perfection from August till late in autumn.
The Noisette roses are very fine, but they are delicate, and apt
to be cut down to the ground in severe weather. The Cloth of Gold
is an exquisite rose where it blossoms freely. I cannot, however,
grow it at Wellington, although I have planted it many times ; and
the same may be said of Miss Gray. Celine Forestier, Lamarque,
Lamarque a fleurs jaunes, Reve d'Or, Solfaterre, and Triomphe de
Rennes, are good varieties, but they are all too tender to grow
except on a moderate scale.
T 2
274
MY GARDEN.
fallen or had been cut ; a number which no otl
a tree could produce.
When we cultivate rose-trees on the manne
deep, as then the rose itself frequently sends for
perishes, an event much to be desired. The tra
wards is very simple. During the summer an1
topped by the finger and thumb, otherwise [
grow freely, and the shoots stand through the
February or beginning of March, when they
Where the ugly standards are grown they t,
a prominent eye, but that eye should always p
roses are grown as dwarfs, the shoots should be (
or two of the ground ; but when we desire to gr
t
one of my beautiful pyramids, we cut it roughly
in-the-Green, and maintain it thus, so far as we c
and spring pruning. It is advisable to cut ros?
as possible, as by this plan their flowering sho<.
the blossom is finer. If they are cut too ead
to be damaged by frosts ; and if cut too late,[
by taking off" growing shoots. In this respec
a difference ; but by cutting the trees at the t}
the gardener cannot fail to have a fine crop d.
As out of nothing nothing can come, so roses cannot be produced
without a suitable manure. The best plan is to keep a good layer of
manure over the roots all the summer, taking care that none is placed
within six inches of the stem, as it is apt to injure it ; but, as the manure
looks unsightly on the ground, it is generally put on in the month
of November instead of in the summer, for it will then rot and soak
into the ground during the winter. Manure water in summer promotes
the growth of rose-trees.
There exists a notion that wherever a good cabbage will grow
a rose will grow ; and as a cabbage loves an ample supply of
manure, so a rose requires an equally rich scil and abundance of
the food of plants.
TUESDAY
SENATE.
Mr. Cross introduced an ae
chapter 47, "Of the powers of
relative to public schools,"
method for the abolishing of scl
by a vote of the town. Passed
reading and referred to the co
education.
The special order of the day,
bill, was taken up.
Mr. Powel, as chairman of th
on corporations, which recomme
explained it at considerable 1<
strongly favored its passage.
Section 1 provides that no b
after built over any railroad s
than IS feet from the lowest tin
top of the rail, except bridges buil
or in place of bridges now existi
Mr. Verry, after calling atteuti
ror in punctuation, moved to str
last clause. "Excepting bridges
renewal, or in place of bridges
ing."
Mr. Metcalf said that umformi
was required; a road where all i
are 14, or 10 or 18 feet high, is
than one where the height varies
are 14 and some are 18 feet.
Mr. Yerry moved that the bill
table for the present, pending th
amend.
The bill was then tabled tempi
The other special order of th
vote on the centennial approprii
on motion of Mr. Cooke, postpor
morrow.
HOUSE.
Mr. Sheffield presented a joinl
instructing the Senators and Kepi
in Congress from Rhode Island,
the passage of an act exempting
gaged in the coastwise coinme
country from the burden of com
lotage, imposed by state laws ; 1
cellency be requested to transmit
the resolution to each Senator anc
THE ROSARIES. 275
Although at the present time gardens are chiefly embellished by
hybrid perpetual roses, we ought not to forget how much they have been
beautifully decorated by China roses, which blossom from May till
Christmas. The common China is most excellent in quality, and the
two finest varieties, Lady of the Lake and Mrs. Bosanquet, are very
beautiful. There is a tiny plant, with small flowers, called the Fairy
Rose (fig. 560), which is utilized at Naples to form an edging round the
outer rose-beds. The effect is pleasing, and I am propagating a number
for use in the same manner. China roses are very easily propagated
from cuttings, taken at the end of May, which are covered over with a
glass and a little bottom heat applied, when flowering plants are
obtained before the end of the year. China roses are as easy to
strike as the hybrids are difficult.
FIG. 560. - Fairy Rose FIG. 561. — Souvenir dc Malmaison.
The He de Bourbon roses give us some fine plants, such as
Acidalie, Baronne de Noumont, Catherine Guillot, Louise Margottin,
and Rev. H. H. Dombrain. There is one variety of which it is quite
necessary to have many plants, and that is the Souvenir de Malmaison
(fig. 561). It flowers in perfection from August till late in autumn.
The Noisette roses are very fine, but they are delicate, and apt
to be cut down to the ground in severe weather. The Cloth of Gold
is an exquisite rose where it blossoms freely. I cannot, however,
grow it at Wallington, although I have planted it many times ; and
the same may be said of Miss Gray. Celine Forestier, Lamarque,
Lamarque a fleurs jaunes, Reve d'Or, Solfaterre, and Triomphe de
Rennes, are good varieties, but they are all too tender to grow
except on a moderate scale.
T 1
276 MY GARDEN.
Noisette roses (fig. 562) propagate easily from cuttings.
I did not know what a Banksian Rose (fig. 563) really was till
I saw it in flower at Florence, where both the yellow and white
FIG. 562. — White Noisette Rose.
FIG. 563.— Yellow ]>anksian Rose.
varieties cover extensive surfaces. When they put forth their flowers
in bunches with thousands of blossoms, there is hardly anything more
beautiful to be seen. In this country they are apt to be killed down
— even when the stems are as thick as the wrist — during severe
winters.
The Macartney roses produce a fine effect against a wall in
summer, when their fine glossy foliage and their single flowers covered
with bees is a glorious sight. I prefer the single to the double
Macartney, which frequently does not open its flowers well. A single
plant suffices, but neither have lived with me at Wallington.
"About us thus,
Of sempiternal roses, bending wreathed
Those garlands twain ; and to the innermost
E'en thus the external answer'd." — DANTE, Paradise.
There is another fine group of roses, which are more beautiful and,
as it were, more refined than the large Hybrid Perpetuals ; namely, the
Tea roses. They are delicate, and are liable to be killed to the ground
in severe winters if the gardener omits to protect them. Mr. Wood
has marked for me at least forty-five varieties which he thinks necessary,
and we have probably two or three dozen kinds always in cultivation.
Some never grow, as the Vicomtesse de Gazes. Homere appears to
be much hardier, and is easily forced in early spring, yielding abundance
////•; ROSARIES.
277
of flowers. Tea roses should be planted in a light and rather dry soil,
and exposed to light and air, so that the wood may be thoroughly
ripened ; they also flourish in the orchard-house. Many tea roses are in
full flower when the hybrids have finished, especially the Gloire de Dijon
(fig. 564) — the best of its kind, taking it all in all — which is the first
to yield its flowers in spring, and the last to cease blossoming in
winter : one planted in my orchard-house yields lovely flowers at times
of the year when a single blossom is ever received with thankfulness ;
it is also a most vigorous grower, and will cover a summer-house ;
or it may be grown as a pyramid ; and a garden should have many
of this kind of rose.
FIG. 564. — Gloire de Dijon. FIG. 565. — Marshal Niel.
Another rose which has been raised of late years, called Marshal
Niel (fig. 565), is of exquisite beauty. I have planted it in many differ-
ent situations out of doors, but without satisfactory success ; either they
have not given blossom, or they have been killed in winter.
FIG. 566. — Climbing Devoniensis.
FIG. 567. — Moss Rose.
The Devoniensis, and a rose resembling it, the Climbing Devoniensis
(fig. 566), are eligible tea roses for cultivation.
Moss Roses (fig. 567) are grown in our district in fields, whence the
-78
MY GARDEN.
flowers are sold in large numbers in the London streets. They are
easily propagated by division, and require to be well manured. In
spring it is advisable to prune the bushes freely back, when they will
afford abundance of blossom. There are several varieties of moss
roses : some white, — as Reine Blanche, Unique de Provence, White
Bath, and Comtesse de Murenais ; others rose and crimson, — as Baron
de Wassenaer, Frederick Soulie, Gloire des Mousseuses, Lanei, and
Marie de Blois. All these roses are beautiful in bud.
No one who has a wild garden can. dispense with climbing roses.
There are many kinds which should be trained into trees to form sheets
of blossom in July. In some situations they can be trained over three
iron rods arranged as a tripod ; this effectually prevents their overthrow
by the wind, which constantly happens when allowed to run up a single
pole. They may be trained over banks, or roots, or outhouses, with
equal effect. The Felicite Perpetuelle (fig. 568) occupies the same
position with us in England as the Banksian rose occupies with the
Italians. \Ye have literally tens of thousands of flowers in the season,
x .,
Fi<;. 568. — Felicite Perpetuelle.
Fu;. 563. — Dundee Rambler.
and the garden is never so lovely as when these are in bloom. Another
rose, the Dundee Rambler (fig. 569), must not be omitted. Its flower
is different in character from the Felicite, but it has its own peculiar
charm. Wells's White rose is another fine climber, but it has not
realized the character given to it by Mr. Wood, who considers it the
most rapid climber known. Amadis is also a fine climber. Although
we have many kinds of climbing roses which are good, yet the largest
number of plants should invariably be of the Felicite Perpetuelle :
THE ROSARIES.
in fact it ought in a garden to exceed all the other dimming roses
put together.
We arrange our hybrid perpetuals in one long bed, containing 300
plants, beside the croquet lawn. Adjouririg the croquet lawn we have
our bed of tea-scented roses. Over the central stream we have abun-
dance of the Felicite Perpetnelle. On one side the croquet lawn we
have also those sjjJendid pyramids of which I have already written
so much.
Along the north border of the lake we have a series of about fifty
magnificent bushes of hybrid perpetuals, and near the Overfall we
have another group of all the kinds of roses, with Felicite's covering
the trees, together with the Glen and Rose bovvers ; so that we may
say literally—
" To shallow rivers, to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals ;
There will we make our beds of roses,
And a thousand fragrant posies."
SHAKSPEARE, Merry Wives of Windsor.
CLIMBING PLANTS.
»
" A thing of beauty is a joy for ever."— KEATS.
In all wild gardens climbing plants are essential to the general
effect ; and perhaps there is none more beautiful than the common ivy.
The colour and marking of the foliage are exquisite, as it is seen
creeping up a tree or paling when a young plant has grown from a
bird-dropped seed. When it has entwined round a tree, it grips it
with a fatal embrace, and sends forth its shoots to flower and seed ; the
seeds are then devoured by birds, which carry them to other parts.
Many trees in my garden are covered with ivy, which is useful where
a tree is not required to grow above a certain size. Branches of trees
covered with ivy and planted in the ground will not grow ; the ivy
appears to be covered with rootlets, but they are evidently not
real roots.
2 SO
MY GARDEN.
The manner in which ivy (Hedera Helix] insinuates itself into every
crevice has been described by the poet : —
"And the ivy knits it closely to its stanchions, and passes
Through the crevices and hinges and the floor." — COLDWELL.
At other times the ivy, when it puts forth its flowering shoots,
assumes the character of a tree, and a tree converted as it were into
an ivy-tree is highly picturesque. We have many specimens.
Lastly, when ivy has nothing to which it can conveniently cling, it
hangs down in wild festoons,
fN^HHlrfS* which is nowhere better illus-
P^j! trated than at the waterfall at
//3»V '^Kmf'' 'HP^Or
\>SB rJllS^^ Dunkeld in Scotland.
'fifi^. aW^ IhPwEr ^ie sma^ natural ivy is far
^\ ^JSSjEi "^w more beautiful than the large-
v /j^^vK MtSKffa'1
xli^TJr fSP^Sfe leaved or Irish ivy ; though
V that is useful for certain situa-
FIG. 570.— New Silver Edge. Fie;. 571.— Gold-striped. tions, and WC USC it to COVCr
the brick retaining walls of the Backwater. There are many exqui-
site varieties of the ivy, — some with foliage splashed with white, others
with gold and silver foliage, which are charming to grow over rootwork
and stumps.- I have figured four varieties (figs. 570, 571, 572, 573), but
I'li;. 57?. —Old Silver Edge
FIG. 573. — Elegantissinio
where any extensive rootwork exists, as many varieties as can be pro-
cured should be grown, as each has its charm ; though, taking all
things into consideration, the common wild ivy of the woods is the
most lovely of all. H. R&gneriana is fine for walls.
CLIMBING PLANTS. 281
"I sat me down to watch upon a bank
With ivy canopied, and interwove
With flaunting honeysuckle." — MILTON.
In some places the Virginian Creeper (Ampclopsis Jicderacea) is
used with effect. In autumn, at Baden Baden, where it is much
grown, the leaves turn red. In this country the autumnal colour is
rarely so fine, and I have almost, if not entirely, discarded the use of
this climber at my garden.
A Convolvulus with rose-tinting in the flower (C. Sepiuni, var. roscus,
fig. 574) is employed in remote situations. I was warned that it
would prove to be a troublesome weed ; however, the flower, like all
the convolvulus tribe, is very beautiful, and I desired to see a few
here and there. It is extensively grown in Scotland, where it is much
admired.
FK;. 574. — Wild rose-coloured Convolvulus. FIG. 575.— Glycine sinensis.
The Major Convolvulus, in all its varieties, should be grown in a few
places out of doors. The Ipomcea Learii has a most magnificent flower.
It has not been tried out of doors, and it likes to grow freely, as it is in-
variably attacked by the red spider. I have had one hundred flowers of
this plant in blossom in a single morning, and nothing can compare with
the grandness of the effect which was produced. The /. rubro-ccerulea
is a somewhat similar flower, which blossoms till late in winter. The
/. Horsfallia has fine foliage, and, the flower being red, it is a desirable
plant for the indoor fernery. It requires a stove temperature.
Amongst our out-door climbers the Glycine sincnsis (fig. 575)
is one of the finest for its blossom in May, but occasionally it is cut
down by frost. On the road to the garden some of the largest
282
MY GARDEN.
specimens round London exist : at Tooting a single plant completely
covers the side of a large house, and in spring it is literally covered
with thousands of flowers. Sometimes it is grown as a bush or tree,
with good effect.
Occasionally the Litkospermum scandens (fig. 576) is grown, as it
fc-^_ ^^ir is admirably adapted for covering trellis-work.
The Sweet-scented Clematis (Clematis vitalba,
jffy. <^^~ i
$Fvfc*4i£& fig. 577) should be in
every garden. It is a
FIG. 576. — Lithospermum scandens. FIG. 577. — Sweet-scented Clematis.
FIG. 578.— C. Jackmanni.
variety of the Scentless, or Traveller's Joy, a wild plant which grows
close to my garden. Its white, highly perfumed flowers are always
welcome in August, and it is an agreeable addition to the summer-
house.
" The clematis, the favour' d flower
Which boasts the name of virgin-bower."
SIR WALTER SCOTT.
Of late years the hybrid Clematis has contributed largely to
the decoration of ear-
f S3 '
•&M"
•
dens. They should be
grown so as to appear
natural, for when they
twine up trees spontane-
ously, producing sheets
of their intensely blue
FIG. 579.-C.lam.ginosa. FIG. 580. -Pale Clematis. flowers ill AugtlSt, I1O-
thing can be more beautiful. The C. Jackmanni (fig. 578) is in my
judgment by far the finest of all. The C. lamtginosa (fig. 579) and
CUM KING PLANTS.
283
the pale variety (fig. 583) are also fine, and there are some other
beautiful kinds.
A garden is unworthy the name of a garden without fine plants of
the Honeysuckle. The first which comes into bloom is the Loniccra
fragrant issiina (fig. 581), a small flower, highly scented,
which blossoms in January, and continues through
February and March : this should never be omitted.
Then, later, we have a pale flower, deliciously scented,
the Early Dutch (fig. 582) ; and later still, that
magnificent variety the Late Dutch (fig. 583). The
flowers of this variety have rich colour, the leaves
are fine, and the scarlet fruit is equally ornamental.
Neither the florist, the artist, nor the poet can ever
dispense with this exquisite flower.
FIG. 581. — T^onicera
" So doth the woodbine, the sweet honeysuckle,
Gently entwist." — SHAKSPEARE, Midsummer Nighfs Dream.
Following this, we have the Japanese Honeysuckle (fig. 584), which
is remarkable for the veining of the leaves. It is
perfectly hardy, and flowers with us, the flower
being small and unimportant, but highly "fragrant.
FK;. 582.— Eirly Dutch
Honeysuckle.
FIG. s83.- Late Dutch
Honeys. .CiJe.
FIG. 534. —Japanese
H jne
It can be freely propagated by cuttings, and should ever have a place
in the flower-garden. There is a honeysuckle which has delicious
jasmine-scented flowers, but is easily killed in severe weather.
The Jasminnm midiflonun (fig. 585) flowers from November of one
284
MY GARDEN.
year till March of the next. Its bright yellow flowers at such seasons
are most lovely. It is well to plant it in a protected situation, to
preserve it against excessive frost, but no garden can possibly do with-
out it. We grow it under the protection of our summer-houses.
The common White Jasmine (fig. 586) exhales perhaps the most
FIG. 585. — Jasminum nj_iif!o;um.
FIG. 587.— Cissus discolor
FIG. 586.— White Jasmine.
exquisite of odours. It grows pretty well with me, but not so well as
it does in other places. We have other jasmines in the fernery, of
which y. Sambac is a desirable variety,
as also is J. grandiflorum. We have
likewise a variety with double blossoms
as big as half-a-crown, and other species.
All are beautiful and choice plants for
the garden.
In our glass fernery the Cissus discolor
(fig. 587) surprises us with the beauty of
its leaves. It is one of the most beauti-
ful of all variegated-leaved plants, and in
autumn and early winter is lovely.
FIG. 588.-Cobceascandens variegata. ^ ^^ scandcnS Variegata (fig. 5^8)
is a most elegant plant, as it hangs down from the roof of the fernery.
However, it was found to be too exacting with respect to the space
it required, and we were obliged to turn it out of the house.
When a blank space has to be covered in a glass house, we may
CLIMBING PLANTS.
285
have recourse to the Creeping Fig (Ficus repens). It has small leaves,
and it clings like ivy to a wall or to rocks, and it is useful in a
situation where flowering climbers will not grow.
Several Tropaeolums are grown at my garden. T. Jarrattii is a plant
with a bulbous root ; it flowers in the greenhouse in early spring. It
requires cool treatment, otherwise it is apt to be attacked with the aphis
and die down. It is interesting to see a little bulb, from the size of a
marble to that of a hen's egg, throw out a slender stem, which grows
till it completely surrounds a large wire globe, two feet in diameter, and
then becomes covered with flowers at all points. There is another
tropaeolum, the T. edtilis, which is sold as an esculent at the Palais
Royal in Paris. I brought it over, but it has never blossomed. There
are other tropcEolums valuable for winter blossoming ; and one, called
Fire-ball, adorns the Poor Man's house in winter and in early spring,
affording abundance of lovely blossoms. The plant, after its winter
flowering, may be planted out of doors. It can be readily propagated
by cuttings.
Whilst I was on a visit to Scotland, I was charmed with a climber
which was trained to the wall of a manse in the valley of the Don. I
had hardly uttered my praises when, with the
natural kindness of the Scotch
people, a plant was placed at
my disposal. I brought it home
in triumph, as pleased to receive
it as the donor was to give it.
It was the T. spcciosum (fig. 589).
It is a South American creeper,
not in extensive cultivation, but,
as I afterwards found, is for
sale in the Scotch nurseries.
It is a truly lovely climber, with a scarlet flower and slender stem ;
every garden should have a plant.
The Canary Creeper (T. canaricnse, fig. 590) is a useful annual
species for out-door growth.
FIG. 589. — Tropaeolum
speciosum.
FIG. 590.— Canary
Creeper.
286
MY GARDEN.
A plant called the Gloriosa (fig. 591), which has a fine flower, and
of which there are two varieties, is not often seen. I bought a bulb
at Williams's nursery ground, which I planted, but a small Achimenes
came up in its place. I naturally complained, when the worthy vendor
FIG. 592. — ^ischynanthu ;.
FIG 591.— Gloriosa.
replied that he could not tell the reason, but he would, with pleasure,
send me another bulb. To my astonishment, after a year's repose the
bulb started, and grew vigorously ; which is a curious physiological fact,
and proves how long a bulb may rest and yet retain its vital power.
There is a pretty tribe of plants called sEscJiynantJius (fig. 592),
which are admirably suited for growing in baskets to hang down
from the pillars and top of the
fernery. A species that has
scarlet flowers, like all other
plants that have flowers of that
colour, is best adapted for that
position.
We grow one remarkable
*&Bi&&*'
FIG. 5J3.— Aristoiochia gigas. plant in the fernery, the Aristo-
locliia gigas (fig. 593), the flowers of which are so extraordinary as to
astonish our visitors. The flower is so large, and so unlike any
other, that it is impossible to describe it : its surface is covered with
CLIMBING PLANTS.
287
markings like a calico print. One day, when the plant was in
blossom, I led some of my visitors to suppose that the flower might
be artificial, and I assured others of its reality. I afterwards found
both parties carefully examining the plant, and neither could decide
whether the flower was a real one or a mere sham made for the
purpose of practising a joke upon them.
We have never succeeded well with the Clianthus Dampicri (fig. 594),
which evidently requires very special treat-
ment, and appears to be impatient of a damp
atmosphere. The colour of its flowers is
magnificent.
It is impossible to dispense with Passion-
flowers. Perhaps one of the most useful
species is the Passiflora Kennesina (fig. 595),
which flowers all the year
round. The young wood,
which is slender, hangs
down with a flower or
flower-bud growing from
the axil of every leaf.
Next to it in beauty,
and perhaps even more FIG. 534.— Clianthus. FIG. 535 — Pussifbra Kermcsina.
brilliant in colour, is the P. princeps. Racemes of scarlet flowers
hang down over green ferns, and set off a fernery by affording
the complementary colour to the green which is so essential to a
perfect effect. The P. ccelcstina is fine. I grow also P. Bdlotti,
P. macrocarpa, P. quadrangular is t and the small but interesting
bat's-wing leaf white flowering species, but this latter is always
distasteful to gardeners because it is not sufficiently showy. The
best Passifloras to grow are P. Kermcsina, P. princeps, P. ccelcstina,
and P. quadrangular is. The P. ccerulea has been frequently tried out
of doors, and as frequently has died in winter. On the high ground
near Croydon it grows well, and becomes covered with its beautiful
golden fruit ; but even there it will not stand the cold in our severe
288 MY GARDEN.
winters. The edible fruit of two species (figs. 384 and 385) are shown
amongst the fruit-trees.
Allied to the passion-flowers, the Tacsonia Van Volximi must
not be forgotten. Each scarlet flower depends from a pedicle six
inches long, and the effect is splendid. It managed one year to
creep out of the fernery through a crack, and grew over a cherry-
tree, whence the flowers depended naturally.
I have seen the Tacsonia Bncanni exhibited.
It has leaves more like a passion-flower
than a Tacsonia, but it has not as yet
flowered with me.
In the fernery I have many species of
Hoya. The common H. carnosa (fig. 596)
is perhaps the best of all, and is a climber
FIG. 596. — Hoya carnosa.
of large dimensions, and there is also a
variegated form of this plant. H. bella (fig. 597) and H. Paxtoui are
exquisite small-growing species, with flowers highly scented ; of which
a preference may be given to the first-named ; but it is difficult to
keep in winter, as it is apt to rot at the root. The H. impcrialis is
Fir,. 597. — Hoya bella. FIG. 598. — Combretum purpureuin.
a large flowering species, and we grow others ; but //. bella and
H. carnosa are indispensable.
The Combretum pnrpnremn (fig. 59^) is a handsome creeper, but
it does not always grow freely, and without care is liable to be
attacked with the red spider. It requires a damp atmosphere and
stove heat.
CLIMIUXG PLANTS.
289
We grow two Clerodendrums : one, the Clerodendrnm splendens
(fig. 599), which has splendid scarlet flowers, invaluable for a fern-house ;
another, the C. Balfourii (fig. 600), which flowers in the fern-house
about midsummer.
FIG. 600.— C. Balfourii.
FIG. 599. — Clerodendrum splendens.
Wherever a southern aspect can be afforded, no plant can surpass
the StcpJianotis floribunda (fig. 60 1). Large quantities conle to Covcnt
Garden Market for wedding bouquets. The plant has a pure white
blossom, and no garden can dispense with such an exquisite flower. It
does not grow very well in my fernery, which has a north aspect.
FIG. 601. — Stephanotis floribunda.
FIG. 602. — Mande villa suaveolens.
A lovely climber, which should be absent from no garden, is the
Mandevilla suaveolens (fig. 602). It does badly in my fernery, with its
north aspect ; nevertheless, it generally contrives to creep out at the top
of the house, and then it produces abundance of its beautiful white
flu \vers.
U
290
MY GARDEN.
The StigmapJiyllon ciliatum (fig. 603) is one of the best of indoor
climbers, and flourishes well in the coldest part of the fernery, where its
bright yellow flowers are most welcome, resembling as they do the finest
orchid. It is certainly a most exquisite plant, and by no means
common.
FIG. 603.— Stigmaphyllon ciliatum.
FIG. 604. — Abutilon vexi'.larium.
The Abutilon vexillarium (fig. 604) is another showy climber, which
produces abundance of flowers in the cool part of the fernery. The
only care it requires is to keep the plant within reasonable dimensions.
It is easily propagated by cuttings.
We have grown at times many Thunbergias. The common ones —
the TJiunbergia alata and aurantiaca, with
their beautiful varieties — are the abomina-
tion of gardeners, because they say that
they are readily infested with insects ; but
that is only the case .when the plant is
not grown sufficiently fast. The T. fra-
grans is a charming plant for the fernery,
and not very common, and T. lanrifolia
(fig. 605) is above all praise, for in the
months of December and January it yields delicate blue flowers which
are extremely ornamental.
A variegated-leaved vine has lately come into use, but although it
looks pretty in pots I have found it worthless out of doors.
A Yam with richly-coloured leaves has been grown, but I cannot say
that it is a desirable plant, and do not recommend its cultivation.
FiCi. 605 — Thunbergia laurifolia.
CLIMBING PLANTS.
291
The Hop is a very ornamental climber in certain situations ; we,
however, do not grow it in its cultivated varieties, although we find
it a very troublesome weed in our hedges.
The Lapagcria rosea (fig. 606) is a fine
plant, which is nearly hardy. It has stood
in my orchard -house without its roots
being destroyed, and I am trying it out
of doors ; but although it survived last
winter, I cannot yet tell whether it will
succeed. It has noble, fleshy flowers and
stiff leaves.
We have a plant of the Dipladcnia amabilis (fig. 607), which has large
showy flowers ; and also a plant of the Allamanda Hendersonii (fig. 608),
which has large brilliant yellow flowers. Both these are considered
by the floral world as really good flowers to be exhibited at flower-
shows, but neither of them can compare in beauty with many of the
FlG «*-
Fir,. 607.— Dipladenia amabilis.
FIG. 608.— Allanlanda Hcndersoni
other kinds I have mentioned, which never go to flower-shows. But
the fashion of the period and flower-shows have to answer for much
of the deterioration of gardens.
Climbing roses must not be omitted from our list of climbing plants,
as they are very useful to cover dead trees. There was a climbing
rose of unparalleled beauty in my neighbour's garden at Wellington
Bridge, but it has now passed its prime.
I must confess that no little contrivance is needed to have so many
climbers over the roof of my fernery, and yet to admit sufficient light
U 2
292 MY GARDEN.
for the ferns. A single climber might be grown to cover the roof ;
nevertheless a change of foliage and a variety in form and colour are
so delightful, that the perfection of growth is sacrificed to variety, and
we prefer to wander with admiration from one lovely form to another
rather than to obtain perfection by giving to every beautiful species
its just due.
" But who can paint
Like Nature ? Can imagination boast,
Amid its gay creation, hues like hers?
Or can it mix them with that matchless skill,
And lose them in each other, as appears
In every bud that blows." — THOMSON'S Seasons.
MY ORCHIDS.
" Yet Spring's awakening breath will woo the earth,
To feed with kindliest dews its favourite flower,
That blooms in mossy banks and darksome glens,
Lighting the greenwood with its sunny smile." — SHELLEY.
Many persons speak of Orchids as eccentric plants, to be looked
upon with wonder, not with admiration ; yet I must confess that, in my
opinion, they are, in form and colour, the loveliest of all the lovely plants
which adorn the woods and fields. Although some of the European
orchids are particularly beautiful, yet it is in the tropical species that
the full glory of these plants is displayed. Of our British orchids
twenty-eight species are recorded as growing in the county of Surrey
alone. A few have been found in the fields near us, and more are
found on the neighbouring chalk downs. All British orchids are
terrestrial, and have bulbs or quasi-bulbs.
First and foremost, I grow the common orchid (Orchis mascnla,
fig. 609), which abounds in Kent, and indeed in most parts of the
kingdom. It flowers in April and May, and is so beautiful that many
should be grown. I procure them by digging the roots from the
hedgerows in February and March, before the flower appears. Although
many have flowered in the highest perfection and have seeded every
year, yet I have never known them to multiply ; nor can I tell how
ORCHIDS.
293
to increase them, although they grow, blossom, and seed so well in
my garden.
I am always anxious to have some Bee Orchids (Ophrys apt/era,
fig. 610), as a group of these plants is very beautiful, but I never obtain
as many as I should like, although the species has been found immedi-
ately outside my garden, in fields in my occupation. They blossom
with me in the Very highest perfection when grown in top-spit loam.
FIG. 609. — Orchis mascula. FIG. 610. — Bee Orchid. Fie. 611.- Fly Orchid.
The Fly Orchid (Ophrys muscifera, fig. 611) is another lovely species,
but much as I love it I never cultivate many. They grow in the
very highest luxuriance in my alpinery, with the curious Bee Orchid.
FIG. 612.— Man Orchid. FIG. 613.— Great Butterfly Orchid. FIG. 614.— Orchis maculata.
The Man Orchid (Aceras anthropophora, fig. 612) is another curious
flower, but not so beautiful as the last two. It is called the Man Orchid
because the flower has a resemblance to a little man dangling in the
air. These grow on the southern side of our chalk downs, whence
I obtained my specimens.
I cultivate also the Great Butterfly Orchid (Habcnaria Chlorantha,
fig. 613) and the Spotted Pale Orchid (O. maculata, fig. 614); also the
294
MY GARDEN,
common Marsh Orchid (O. incarnata, fig. 615). I should grow many
other species, and have them by hundreds, but that I am neither
able to procure them, nor to spare the time to search for them. Some
of my plants, during the last two or three years, flowered in great
perfection, and then suddenly died, but whether from exhaustion or
not I cannot tell.
FIG. 615. — Orchis incarnata-
G. 617. — Cypripecliui
Calceolus.
FIG. 616. — Goodyera repens.
When in Scotland in 1871, I found Goodyera repens (fig. 616) in
abundance, and brought home many plants. I also found consider-
able quantities of the Listera cordata in the valley of the Don. The
Cypripedium Calceolus (fig. 617) is one of the most beautiful of our rare
English flowers. It has never done well in my garden ; neither has the
beautiful C. spectabile from North America ; but both are choice flowers,
ever to be grown where they will succeed. Quantities of these flowers
might be obtained at a cheap rate from America.
For all terrestrial orchids I use a light turfy loam, which appears to
suit them better than any other material. There are many other South
European kinds, growing in Italy and Greece as thickly as buttercups
do in our fields, which doubtless, if they were imported to this country,
would readily find purchasers. The Comte de Paris is a great admirer
of these lovely flowers, and has exhibited many collected by him in
Spain and elsewhere. So common are the terrestrial orchids in the
Boboli Gardens at Florence, that in some parts of the Royal grounds
there are almost more orchids than grass. I persuaded the gardener,
ORCHIDS. 295
by signs, to give me a number of roots, but they did not grow well
in my garden.
The more splendid forms of orchids are not terrestrial, but epiphytic,
growing on trees and rocks in their native country. The roots cling
closely to the trees or rocks, and fof that reason are called air plants ;
but I suspect that they draw much nourishment, and especially earthy
salts, from the plants on which they grow. During their period of growth
a nearly saturated atmosphere is absolutely necessary ; and at all times
of the year it is desirable that the air should be very humid. Probably
more orchids are killed by excess of heat, and a daily variation of the
dryness of the air, than from any other cause. They will not bear a
dry atmosphere, and heat combined with dryness causes certain death.
I do not pretend to grow exotic orchids, but I never refuse a spare bulb
from a friend. They grow with me like weeds, 'and so by the gifts
of many kind friends I have now more plants growing, in good health,
than existed in the country when I was born. The secret of my
success is to supply water by giving moisture to the air, and not to soak
the roots of the plants. The greater part of my orchids are grown in
the fernery, and the highest temperature which any of my plants get is
that which is necessary for the growth of cucumbers. Some of them,
as the Cypripediums and Dendrobium nobile, are grown in winter at a
temperature very little above freezing, and indeed occasionally they
may get a little frost, which, however, is to be avoided rather than
to be commended. All the epiphytic orchids shun the direct rays of
the sun, but rejoice in light. They never do well in a large house,
probably because the hygrometric state constantly varies. The part of
my fernery in which the orchids grow, has some light admitted from
the south ; but rows of trees are planted before- the glass, effectively
to intercept the direct rays of the sun in summer, though some of
the rays in winter are beneficially admitted.
Most orchids do best if potted in broken pieces of pots inter-
mingled with the fibre of peat and sphagnum moss. By this
mode of growth the roots are always freely exposed to air and
moisture. .
296
MY GARDEN.
. Of all orchids, the Chinese (Dendrobinm nobile, fig. 618) is perhaps
the best for all its qualities. It will grow in the vinery during the
summer, though it likes at that time more heat. It rests in winter, in
any greenhouse where frost is kept out. In advancing spring every
stem puts forth numerous buds, which blossom from February to May.
KIG. 618. — Dandrobium mbile.
FIG. 619. — D. Pierardii.
This plant is easily grown, and should be in every garden where
there is a glass-house.
We grow many other Dendrobiums. The D. Pierardii (fig. 619) has
bare stems, clothed with sheets of flower in the spring, and many other
beautiful species (fig. 620) adorn my fernery.
The Phalfznopsis grandiflora (fig. 621) is another magnificent orchid,
with white flowers on a long stalk. It is always in flower ; whether
FIG. 620.— Dendrobium. FIG. 621. -Phalaenopsis grandillora.
the abundance of flowers destroys it or not I cannot tell, but
notoriously these plants soon die. I had two given to me which
grew for some years, but lately they have shown signs of loss of
health. They require the temperature of the cucumber-house all the
year round, and they evidently need some particular treatment with
regard to their rest and growth which is not rightly understood.
ORCHIDS.
297
I have one or two Vandas which are thoroughly exotic in character.
The Vanda tricolor (fig. 622) and other species require all the heat of
the cucumber-house for their growth. The genus Oncidium, of which
many species grow well with' me, affords us many beautiful flowers. The
Oncidium papilio (fig. 623) has a flower like a butterfly resting upon the
top of a stalk. One flower follows another, and the same stalk after
FIG. 622.— Vanda. „ „
r IG. 624. — O. altissimum.
FIG,. ^23. — Oncid'um papilio.
a period of rest forms other flowers ; so that this beautiful, curious plant
flowers afresh many times in a year. It does well in the fernery, and
forms fine bulbs in that situation.
Some of the species of Oncidium form flower-stalks four or five
yards long, and I myself have one which has spikes three yards in
length. It is interesting to watch the growth of O. altissimum (fig. 624).
FIG. 625. — Oncidium flexuosum.
FIG. 626.— O. Harrisii.
The flower-spike grows its full length, and then at every joint the
flowering ,spikelets come forth, so that the whole of the long spike is
clothed with beautiful flowers at the same time.
O. flcxuosum (fig. 625) is a pretty Brazilian species. It likes the
MY GARDEN.
warmth of the cucumber-house ; but O. Harrisii (fig. 626) grows freely
in the fernery, and sends up lovely spikes about a foot long. O. luridum
grows also freely with me.
There is a curious terrestrial orchid which flowers well with me, but it
is not common ; it is called Mantisia saltatoria, or Opera Girls (fig. 627).
The flower has a fanciful resemblance to a ballet-girl dancing. Its
stems die down in winter, and send up their flowers in spring, which
last long into the summer. The plant is more curious than beautiful.
FIG. 628.— Phajus grandiflura.
FIG. 627. — Mantisia saltatoria.
Another terrestrial orchid of great beauty is the Phajus grandiflora
(fig. 628). It forms its bulbs in summer, rests during winter, and
in early spring sends forth a fine spike of exquisitely coloured and
FIG. 630. — C. Skinneri.
FIG. 629. — Cattleya Mossiae.
formed flowers. It is a lovely species, and requires little attention
in its cultivation.
Central America has yielded to us the Cattleyas, which afford flowers
of astonishing size. I have C. labiata, C. Mossite (fig. 629), C. Skinncri
ORCHIDS.
299
(fig. 630), and C. Forbcsii. They are fine, and they have the rare merit
of not requiring excessive heat. The bulbs must be ripened to insure
perfection of flower. Cattleyas are stock flowers for the horticultural
shows, and the poor plants suffer terribly from the tricks played upon
them, either to hasten their blossom by heat, or to retard it by cold,
so that they may be exhibited by a given day.
The Maxillarias, or flowers with jaws, are a remarkable class of
plants. I have several species, of which M. Harrisonii is one of the
most beautiful. The M.fimbriata (fig. 631) has abundance of singular
FIG. 631. — Maxillaria fimbriata.
FIG. 632. — Lycaste aromatica.
FIG. 633 — Cypripedium villosum.
blossoms ; and an allied species, the Lycaste aromatica (fig. 632), is
remarkable for the great number of flowers which are produced, and for
their fine aromatic odour.
We have three or four species of Cypripediums, many of which any-
one who has a warm greenhouse may grow. The C. insigne and
barbatum are the most common species,
and most easily cultivated, but of late
years many others of the highest merit
have been introduced. The illustration
is taken from a species grown by Mr.
Terry, called C. villosum (fig. 633) ; but
many others of even more beauty are
now cultivated. C. caudatum is a very
remarkable and interesting species, but
which I do not at present pOSSeSS. FIG. 634.— Brassia maculata.
We have a plant from Jamaica, the Brassia maculata (fig. 634). It
grows freely in the fernery, and flowers well.
v
3oo
MY GARDEN.
FIG. 635. — Stanhopea.
Perhaps, however, to a person unacquainted with orchids, nothing
is more surprising than to see a number of bulbs, some with leaves and
some without, planted in a wire basket in moss, and protruding from
the bottom a spike having four or five
large flowers. This is the case with the
Stanhopea (fig. 635). I remember that
when Mrs. Lawrence showed a specimen,
many years ago, it caused a sensation ;
but the plants are now quite out of
fashion, and some orchid-growers who
love prizes more than their plants will
not have them in their houses. They
grow very readily, but they have one
disadvantage, that is, the flowers last but
a few days instead of several weeks, as
the flowers of other orchids do.
I have one or two species of Aerides
(fig. 636), which are fine, and, like the
Vandae, they require much heat. I have
two or three species of Epidendrum,
FIG. 636. -Aerides crispum. which I need not describe.
The beautiful genus of Anaectochilus (fig. 637) is represented in my
garden by two species. The A. argenteus has perhaps the most beautiful
leaf of any plant known ; and the A. Lowii, from Borneo, is a grand
species. In noticing these I could not resist giving a figure of the ten
species now grown by Mr. Terry, who is very successful in the cultivation
of these valuable plants, and who has perhaps the finest collection in the
country. They are difficult to cultivate, and like a moist atmosphere.
The only two species which I possess grow in the greatest luxuriance.
The Calanthe vestita (fig. 638) is a plant very easily cultivated ; I
find it grows as readily as any orchid. It forms large bulbs in summer,
and about Christmas begins to form its flower-spikes, which grow to a
length of from one to two and a half feet, and in winter are covered
with beautiful flowers. By having many plants, the period during
ORCHTDS.
301
which they blossom may be prolonged for a considerable time. There
are many varieties, differing in the colour of the flowers.
FIG. 637. — i. Ansectochi'us argenteus, Brazil; 2. A. Lowii, Borneo ; 3. A. ordiana ; 4. A. (macodes^ petola,
Java ; 5. A. xan'hophyllu--, Ceylon ; 6. A. argenteus pictus, Bra/il ; 7. A. setaceus intermedius, Ceylon
8. A. Veitchii, Java ; 9. A. Dawsonianus, Kast Indies; 10. A. setaceus, Ceylon.
The Odontoglossums are glorious flowers, from Central America.
The 0. grande (fig. 639) is a magnificent plant, and requires only
a moderate temperature: in fact, much heat destroys the plant. The
Fir.. 638.— Calamhe vc
Fi<;. 639. — Odontoglossum grande.
O. Alexandria (fig. 640) is also a superb flower, and deserves to be largely
cultivated. The O, pulchcllum has a pretty little white flower. I have a
fine plant of the very beautiful O. Plialcenopsis (fig. 641), that was
given to me by Mr. Gassiot : it grows well in the fernery. The
302
MY GARDEN.
odontoglossums do not like too much heat, but plenty of light, without
the direct sun.
The Tricopilia tor tilts, from Mexico, is remarkable for the twisted
character of the petals of its flower. It grows readily in the fernery.
FIG. 642. — Miltonia.
FIG. 640. — O. Alexandria;.
FIG. 641. — O. Phalaenops
The Miltonias (fig. 642) yield very exquisite flowers. They are not
easy to grow, and require heat. My plants have not done very well.
There is a plant much appreciated by the Spaniards, who call it
the Dove Orchid, or Holy Ghost Orchid (Peristeria alata, fig. 643). It
grows freely in the cucumber- house, and forms bulbs as large as a
turkey's egg. From the
bulb one or two flower-
stalks rise, about three feet
high, from which a thick,
fleshy white flower grows ;
the middle of this in shape
resembles a dove. It is
upon the whole a flower
more curious for its asso-
ciations than for its beauty,
and a single plant is suffi-
cient as a specimen.
I have not at present an Angrcecum sesquipedale (fig. 644): it has
a white blossom, and it is remarkable for its having a long appendage,
which the crickets delight to eat, making the flower look ridiculous.
FIG. 643.— Dove Orchid. FIG. 644. — Angraecum sesquipedale.
ORCHIDS.
There is another plant which has lately been introduced, the
Masdcvallia VeitcJdi (fig. 645) ; this is also a remarkable plant, and
is a desideratum for the orchid-house.
FIG. 645. — Masdevallia
Veitchii.
FIG. 646.— Vanilla.
or
FIG. 647. — Caelogyne cristata.
Everybody is acquainted with the powerful odour and intense,
penetrating flavour of the Vanilla (Vanilla aromatica, fig. 646), but
everyone does not know that it is the produce of a climbing orchid.
It sends down roots six or eight feet long, from the roof of the
house to the ground. The fruit, which is a long pod, is used for
flavouring purposes. I received my plant from Mr. Terry, who has fine
specimens. It rarely fruits in this country, though fine pods from Sion
House have been shown. The plant itself requires full exposure to
the sun to mature it, and I have seen it in fruit at the Horticultural
Gardens in Florence, where no doubt the powerful Italian sun con-
tributes to perfect the fruit in the hot-houses there.
There is a very beautiful orchid, the Ccelogync cristata (fig. 647), from
Nepaul, which thrives well in my fernery. It forms its bulbs during
the summer, and soon after Christmas sends up its flower-spikes, that
hang gracefully over the sides of the pot in which it is planted.
It is a very charming plant.
The Pitcher-plants are the universal concomitants of an orchid-
house. The oldest and best-known one, the Nepenthes distillatoria, was
nearly lost, and had become very scarce a year or two since. I have
had this variety, and now possess N. Icvis, which forms its pitchers
well. The N. ampnllacca is the most noble, having pitchers of pro-
304 MY GARDEN.
digious size. What may be the use of these pitchers, which at times
are full of water, nobody can tell. The N. Rafflcsiana (fig. 648)
is another fine plant. They are difficult to grovv,
and must never be allowed to get dry, or they are
sure to perish.
It is a great treat to see Messrs. Veitch's collection
of Pitcher plants, which is perhaps the finest in
Europe. There is a grace of form about these plants,
in addition to their strange incomprehensible structure,
which delights the mind. Who that is able to grovv
FIG. 648.— N. Rafflesiana. a pitcher plant would ever be without one?
The Saracenias, which are low pitcher-plants, are also curious, and
have remarkable flowers. However, I have had them over and over
again, though they have after a time invariably died ; for, as in the
case of all bog plants, it is difficult to give them their natural con-
ditions. I am inclined to think that many species would grow out of
doors, and when the next large importation takes place I shall feel
great curiosity in trying to acclimatize them.
Those who cultivate orchids generally love them very much. They
are all natural plants, and, with very few exceptions, have not been
impaired by the skill of the floriculturists. In a well-stored orchid-
house one can see as many plants in a few minutes as could be observed
by travelling thousands of miles ; and those who have seen orchids
abroad tell me that their blossoms are, in cultivation, even finer
than when growing in their native woods. Nevertheless, there
is hardly any joy without some sorrow, and the penalty of orchid-
growing is the necessary exposure to the hot damp atmosphere in
which they live, — that it is not consistent with the health of human
beings. Nothing, however, can be more pleasing or more enviable
than the possession of a well-appointed orchid-house. Even with my
comparatively limited collection there is not a day in the year that
a few exquisite flowers are not in bloom.
" In all seasons
Flowers expand their li^ht and soul-like uin^s." LO\T<;FFI,I.O\V.
ALPINE FLOWERS. 305
ALPINE FLOWERS.
" Avec leurs grands sommets, leurs glaces e"ternelles,
Par un soleil d'e'te', que les Alpes sont belles !
Tout dans leurs frais vallons sert k nous enchanter,
La verdure, les eaux, les bois, les fleurs nouvelles.
Heureux qui sur ces bords peut longtemps s'arreter !
Heureux qui les revolt, s'il a pu les quitter!" — GUIRAUD.
Of late years bedding plants — that is to say, plants kept under glass
during the winter and planted out in the spring — have been the rage.
Geraniums and calceolarias, thus treated, yield thousands of blossoms,
and, for some situations, geometric beds filled with them are beautiful ;
nevertheless, thus arranged, except in their proper places, they do not
satisfy the mind, and when the inevitable geranium is seen in every
garden alike, the charm of novelty is wanting.
Perpetual variety is to be found in the almost countless multitude
of species of the beautiful little flowers which adorn the Alps, the
Pyrenees, or even the wild banks and heaths of this country, and which
may be grown in the alpineries.1 I have two alpineries, besides a
sedum, a saxifrage, and a sempervivum garden ; and there is scarcely
any time of the year when some lovely object may not be found in
them : — indeed at most times of the year such varieties of graceful
forms are in blossom as completely to satisfy and gratify the mind.
My alpineries are peculiarly constructed. The one at the eastern
part of the fern glen is a small mound, in the formation of which,
top-spit, fibrous loam is chiefly employed. Large pieces of sand-
stone are inserted in an irregular manner eight or ten inches into
the ground, and stand out as much or more above ground. The earth
underneath the stone is adapted for the roots of delicate plants, many
of which form masses of roots against the stone, which permanently
holds moisture. Some plants will not succeed without this kind of
1 The word alpinery has been constructed as a companion word to fernery,
and, although not ctymologically correct, is nevertheless a convenient word for
general use.
X
306 MY GARDEN.
stone for their roots. The interstices in the blocks of stone above
ground afford sheltered places in which the leaves of the plants are
protected from cold winds in sharp weather. Where sandstone can
be obtained in unlimited quantities, perhaps the best alpinery would
be a mere heap of irregularly shaped stones with the crevices partially
filled with good soil, so as to leave a rough surface with angles of
sandstone projecting like the bristles of a hedgehog. The labourers
employed to make a mound, will — unless you stand over them and
watch the work being done — always insist on ^ building a structure
something like a wall ; whereas the blocks of stone should be so
arranged as to present outlines as irregular as possible. The
proper sandstone may be obtained, but at considerable cost, from
Tunbridge Wells, from Balcombe, and from other parts of Sussex ;
and as those places are at some distance from my garden, I have
only been able to indulge in that material to a very limited extent.
I liked my first alpinery so well, and my plants grew so large, that
I speedily made a second. This latter is a large mound, and affords
room for hundreds of species. It presents an irregular figure from
every point of view, rising at some places to two feet above the general
level of the ground, and sinking below it at others, till it shelves in
one direction to the water of the central stream. The object of this
is to obtain series of surfaces exposing a large extent of the mound to
view at once ; and also to present an arrangement by which, at various
parts, the shade or the full blaze of the sun may be commanded,
together with every degree of dryness or moisture of the soil, that each
plant may require for its growth. The whole of the alpinery has about
six inches of brick rubbish forked in, and hundreds of rough flint stones
from the chalk quarries are scattered over the surface. Some part of
the alpinery is arranged so that narrow fissures are left between the
stones, and these are so placed that moisture always exists. Some plants
that live in such a position would die in any other. I observed on the
Cornichie road, near the coast of the Mediterranean, that the maiden-
hair fern always appeared wherever a vein of sandstone existed. Many
rare plants are found in rough walls on hill-sides, as in that situation
ALPINE FLOWERS. 307
moisture constantly filters from the earth above. The flint stones are
unquestionably inferior in colour to the neutral tint of grey sandstone,
as they are too white when used fresh from the quarries ; nevertheless,
in the absence of the former material, flints are effective and useful ; their
presence secures a moist soil underneath, although the stones themselves
do not retain the moisture as does the sandstone. Our alpineries are a
miniature horticultural world, and success depends upon setting each
plant into its right place : for instance, the moisture-loving plant, as the
cloudberry, in a moist place ; the dry-loving plant, as the house-leek,
on the dry crest of the mound. The conditions of my alpineries are
so varied that I can accommodate a plant with any degree of moisture
in the soil, from comparative dryness to an absolute peat bog under
water. I always tell my gardener not to depend too much on his own
judgment, but if possible to plant more than one of each species in
different situations : no man can hope to attain sufficient experience to
determine the conditions under which each plant would best thrive ;
for that would necessarily involve an exact knowledge of the natural
history of every plant. My larger alpinery is open to the full air and
light of heaven. There no trees are allowed to root ; for it is perfectly
indispensable, if alpine flowers are wanted, that the plants should be
thoroughly exposed to the sun and air.
Although we can, in great measure, regulate the condition of the
soil, we can do little to vary the climate. At my garden we suffer from
moisture-depositing fogs in winter : it is not then uncommon to see all
the leaves of the plants dripping with wet. In this condition they are
more prone to die from cold than if covered with dry snow. Hence
many alpine plants thrive better in Scotland than they do with me ;
and it is still a matter for my consideration to find some method by
which I may overcome this great difficulty, which our proximity to a
warm river in winter entails upon us.
I have a third alpinery, which I call my Saxifrage garden. This
has a layer of three or four inches of brick rubbish, which is scattered
over with large flints. I have also, at the edge of a bank, a Sem-
pervivum garden ; and my Sedums grow on the nearly vertical side of
X 2
3o3
MY GARDEN.
the Central brook, where their blossoms light up the scene with their
brilliant flowers.
In these three alpine gardens hundreds of species are grown.
Many, of the most surpassing beauty, are easily passed over and
neglected unless sought out with an intelligent eye. It is seldom
that I visit the alpineries without finding some new object of interest ;
and I observe that my visitors linger over these mounds with satis-
faction, delight, and admiration.
My alpineries are merely degenerate productions when compared
with the glorious example constructed by Messrs. Backhouse of York,
in whose garden stones of many tons in weight are used, and where the
whole design has the appearance of nature. They are, moreover, not to
be compared with the beautiful rockeries which can be made where
quartz spar can be procured. The Rev. W. Macpherson, of Monnymusk
in the valley of the Don, in Scotland, has a pretty rockery made of
selected stones. The Rev. Mr. Milne, in the same valley, has also
another, formed of quartz spar, which, during a number of years, he
has selected from the hills, and transferred to his garden at great labour
and cost : these he has arranged as a rockery, on which alpine plants
grow in all that luxuriance which a proper soil and a natural climate
can alone ensure.
FIG. 649.— Saxifrage
oppositifol'a.
FIG. 650.— S. granulate.
FIG. 651. — S. granulata (double).
The Saxifrages are plants of much interest and great beauty for
rock-work. First and foremost, the purple Saxifrage (Saxifraga
oppositifolia, fig. 649) is very beautiful. There are several varieties, the
blossom of one being white, and that of another being rosy pink, and
A L PINE EL O IVEKS.
309
larger. These plants produce large sheets of blossom in early spring,
with the snowdrop and the crocus. The S. granulata we have in
two forms, single (fig. 650) and double (fig. 651). The latter especi-
ally is very attractive, and should be grown in every alpinery. The
FIG. 652. — 5. intacta minor.
FIG. 654. — S. pectinata
S. intacta minor (fig. 652) is another species, which grows freely with
us. One of the most noble of all the Saxifrages is the grand
S. Cotyledon, var. pyramidalis. The flower spike is of pyramidal
form, and, when in flower, about two feet in height ; this plant has
been pronounced one of the glories of the garden. It did not flower
FIG. 655. — S. bryoides.
FIG. 656.— S. aspera. FIG. 657. — S. globif^ra.
with me this year, and so I was unable to figure it from nature ;
Wooster has, however, figured it. Perhaps the most common of the
saxifrages is the London Pride section. The common London Pride
is too generally grown to require a figure, but the S. Geum, or
Kidney-leaved London Pride (fig. 653), should never be omitted from
an alpine garden. It grows without any special care.
" Boon Nature scatter'd, free and wild,
Each plant or flower, the mountain's child/'
SIR WALTER SCOTT.
3io
MY GARDEN.
FIG. 658. — Saxifraga caespitosa.
We grow the S. Aizoon and the 5. pcctinata (fig. 654) ; the latter
forms beautiful silvery rosettes, and may be used not only as a rock
but a border plant. We grow also the 5. bryoides (fig. 655), the S.
aspera (fig. 656), and the 5. hypnoidcs, a mossy plant which forms fine
sheets of green foliage. There can be nothing prettier than to see
this plant covering over the flint stones; evidently liking for its roots'
the moisture, and for its leaves the warmth which the stones retain.
The mossy saxifrages S.globifera (fig. 657) and
S. ccespitosa (fig. 658) grow rapidly after the
autumn equinox, when most other plants rest.
The colour of the foliage is most beautiful and
striking, presenting the most brilliant green when
most other plants are losing their leaves, and
when the grass itself has a yellowish faded
hue. They grow to such an extent in the
winter months that much watchfulness is
required to prevent them from covering and destroying all the
smaller plants round them ; but for covering extensive banks they
are invaluable.
The species called 5. Juniper ina is remarkable ; the plant has been
compared to a number of juniper-trees compressed together. It makes
a good, compact, rich plant. The 6". Hirculus differs essentially from
other saxifrages, in liking a damp place. It grows freely in the
boggy parts of our alpineries, and bears a yellow flower.
There are a number of saxifrages of great beauty, forming stiff
heads, more like house-leeks. The foliage of
many of these is exquisitely beautiful, and the
plants are often used for edging beds. We have
many varieties of this section, which is a valuable
addition to the alpineries.
The Stone-crops, or Seduins, are fine plants
for our alpineries. The common Yellow Stone-crop,
FIG. 659.-Sedum angiicum. when in flower, is a blaze of beauty. The Sedum
angiicum (fig. 659) has a white flower. We grow many species of
ALPINE }-LO\\'ERS.
3"
Sedums, but none surpasses S. Sieboldii (fig. 660), which flowers in
September. When these autumnal sedums are in flower, it is marvel-
lous to see the number of bees which frequent them. Nearly all the
sedums are most readily propagated by division, and many of them,
FIG. 66i.-S. Fabaria.
FIG. 660 — Sedum Siebo'.dii.
as S. Fabaria (fig. 66 1), freely sow themselves, so care must be
taken that the coarser varieties do not propagate themselves to the
destruction of the weaker. They grow well in fresh soil, but
degenerate when they remain long in one situation. All the cultivation
required is to prevent them from overrunning each other, or being
overrun by other plants. In a plot of arid ground probably no class
of plants can give so much satisfaction for so little trouble. They
will cover the top of a wall, and make a posi-
tion by nature the most uninteresting, assume
by art all the loveliness of a flower garden.
The Sempervivums are an interesting tribe,
as they live where almost any other plant
would perish, even on blocks of sandstone,
with scarcely a trace of vegetal mould. Many
species live out-of-doors throughout the year,
but some require protection in winter. The FIG. 662.-stmpervivummcntanum
Sempervivum tectorum is the only British species. S. montanum (fig.
662) is perfectly hardy. S. califcrnicnm (fig. 663) is both showy and
312
MY GARDEN-.
useful for the edging of flower-beds. .S. aracJinoideum (fig. 664) is
particularly interesting from its having a web over its leaves ; it grows
freely, and stands the coldest winters, although it is reputed to be
tender. I found on the St. Gothard Pass a species covered with a web
similar to this species, but none of the plants which I brought over
lived. I grow also vS. anomalum, S. arenarium, S. globiferum, S.
Jtirtinn, S. Pittoni, S. sobolifertim, S. Wulfenii, and many other
species.
IG. 663.— S. californicum.
Vic,. 664. — S- nrachnoideivm.
vS. spinositm (fig. 665) is a very distinct and rare species. I procured
my specimen from Ware of Tottenham, a great cultivator of alpine
plants, but I do not yet know whether it is hardy.
Amongst kinds which require protection in winter may be mentioned
vS. tabulceforme (fig. 666), a most remarkable plant, which has a flat,
table-like aggregation of leaves. When it flowers, a stem about nine
inches long is thrown up, and the flat table is destroyed. Other delicate
FIG. 666. — S. tabulaefonne.
Fiq. 667. -S. Bollii.
species are 6". arbor cum, S. ciliare, and S. repens. S. Bollii (fig. 667)
is remarkably fine, and is one of the most beautiful of all the species.
The whole plant assumes the form of a cup, and every leaf is
ALPINE FLOWERS.
3'3
curved in the most graceful manner. It is a plant which should be
carefully studied by designers and architects.
We grow various species of Echeverias, which are allied to the
Sempervivums, and are noble plants for the alpinery. They require
protection during the winter, and are planted out in spring. The
Echcveria metallica (fig. 474) is a grand plant. The E sccnnda (fig. 668)
is finely coloured. We grow also E. navicularis, E. grandiflora, and
E. sangitinca. None of these species will bear frost.
FIG. 668. — Echeveria secunda.
FIG. 669. — Pachyphytuni bracteosum. FIG. 670. — Cotyledon umbilicus.
Another succulent plant, Pachyphytum bracteosum (fig. 669), produces
a fine effect when planted out in the summer months. From its colour
and general appearance it contrasts well with the neighbouring plants,
and stands out in bold relief.
Not widely removed from the sempervivums there
is another plant, the Cotyledon umbilicus (fig. 670),
which grows throughout Europe, and which has accli-
matized itself on our root- works and walls. It
comes up annually, and therefore gives us no trouble
in its cultivation.
Many bulbous plants grow in our alpineries, where
they are undisturbed from year to year.
The Scillas are charming blue spring-flowers,
blossoming very early. The Scilla sibirica (fig. 671) is of a porcelain
blue, and quite hardy. This is so splendid a flower that a large
number of plants should be procured, which is not difficult, as the
FIG. 671. — Scilla sibirica.
MY GARDEX.
bulbs are sold by the hundred, and, when once planted, come up
annually without further trouble. The Scilla bifolia (fig. 672) is
another interesting plant, which should also be grown. There are
large scillas very much like the common bluebell, which are not
desirable for the alpineries, though they may be grown in the
ferneries. The bluebells (Scilla mttans] are grown by thousands
amongst our ferns, and a mass of this wild flower alternating with
yellow primroses adds much to the charm of the wild garden.
"Where knots of bluebells droop their graceful heads." — KIRKE WHITE.
We plant in our alpineries a few of the common Crocus for effect,
as it is difficult to obtain many specimens of the wild species, of which,
however, we have six or eight. We grow, too, the Bulbocoditim vernum
(fig. 673), which flowers without leaves in March and April ; also the
Colchicum autnmnale (fig. 674), which flowers in October ; likewise the
FIG. 672.— Scilla bifolia.
FIG. 673. — Bulbocodium verntim.
FIG. £74. — Colchicum autumnale.
double variety, which is very showy when flowers are scarce. Amongst
the different species of crocuses I have the Crocus luteus, brought
from Switzerland ; also the Saffron Crocus (C. sativus], and the common
C. reticulatus, which is the earliest of all crocuses.
The Galanthus plicatus, or Great Crimean Snowdrop, grows in the
alpinery. This latter has much larger leaves, but not much larger
flowers, than the common snowdrop.
The Anemones are very charming additions to our alpineries,
and several species are grown. One common species, called the
Anemone nemorosa (fig. 675), is to be found in all our woods. It
has a white flower, and we grow it in some quantity in our ferneries ;
t-L o IVJ<:RS.
3'5
it is an important plant, as it flowers and dies down before the
fronds of the ferns sprout forth. The double variety (fig. 676) is also
beautiful, but I think the single has the greater charm. The flower
has a faint odour, which some persons cannot detect. The anemones
of Italy (fig. 677), which literally carpet the ground near Rome, are
grand flowers. Well do I remember the delight with which I first saw
FIG. 675. — Anemone
nemorosa.
FIG. 676. — A. nemorosa
(double).
FIG. 677. — Purple Anemone
of Italy.
them in the island of Capri ; and afterwards, at Rome, the eagerness with
which I possessed myself of roots, when the ground was literally
covered with them, at the celebrated Villa Doria. The Anemone
apennina (fig. 678) gives vivid sky-blue flowers. The A. Pulsatilla, or
Pasque-flower (fig. 679), is a true native of Britain, and is said to grow
on chalk downs. The A. palmata (fig. 680) is another beautiful species.
FIG. 678.— A. apennina. FIG. 679.— A. Pulsatilla. FIG. 680.— A. palmata.
Amongst the bulbous plants, the Camassia esculenta (fig. 68 1), a plant
that grows on the west coast of North America, is particularly inter-
esting, as it constitutes the chief vegetal food of the Indians. The
flower itself is very simple, but nevertheless very attractive to me, and
I prize my plant far beyond its intrinsic worth.
3i6
MY GARDEN.,
Specimens of some of the different varieties of Alliums, such as
Allium nutans (fig. 682), ought to have a place in every fernery.
The Oxalidce are numerous in species and beautiful in flower. The
O. Acctosella, or Shamrock, grows with me freely in shaded damp places.
The O. rosea (fig. 683) has a great abundance of fine flowers ; these open
in the morning, and close in the afternoon. Frost destroys the bulbs.
" Oh the Shamrock, the green immortal Shamrock,
Chosen leaf Of bard and chief,
Old Erin's native Shamrock ! "— MOORE'S Irish Melodies.
FIG. 681.— Camassia esculenta.
II! 1
FIG. 682. — Allium nutans.
.FiG. 683. — Oxalis ros-a.
The common fields in Italy are covered at Easter time with yellow
and red tulips growing wild. I brought from Florence many bulbs. The
flowers are really fine (fig. 684), and are used
to decorate the Italian churches at Easter, —
or rather, they are used in
them on Holy Thursday,
for the gardens of the
Holy Sepulchre.
The A maryllis, or Stern-
bergia lutea (fig. 685), or
\\ W/1HP Lily of the Field of the
Bible, grows freely in the
FIG. 684.— Tulip from Italy.
driest places ot our al-
pineries, and may be propagated by division. In Palestine in autumn,
it is said to come up in large patches ; and the glossy leaves with
bright yellow flowers, growing in masses in the midst of an arid,
desolate wilderness, must produce a great effect on the mind.
FIG. 685.— Lily of the Field.
ALPINE FLOWERS.
317
There are many small species of Iris, well adapted for the alpinery,
such as Iris attica, from Greece, and Iris rhcetica : both of these sorts
are very dwarf, and are well adapted to mix with our alpine plants ; as
also is the Iris niidicaidis (fig. 686), which has beautiful blue flowers.
We intersperse over the alpineries our common English orchids, such
as the Spotted, the Bee, the Butterfly, the Fly, and the Man orchids, and
in the damp parts the Marsh orchid, which have been before described ;
we also plant a few feathered and grape hyacinths, to give variety
to our collection of flowers. On the Continent, the Triteleia uniflora
FIG. 686.— Iris nudicaulis. VUilH TKJ. 688.— Erica hefbacea.
FIG. 687. — Triteleia uniflora.
(fig. 687) is often used for decorative purposes, but not so frequently
in this country. It grows freely with me, and is a very valuable spring
flower; it has, however, a disagreeable odour.
After the bulbous plants, we have arranged a few hard-wooded
ones, among ^which none can exceed in beauty the
common Heather. It is hard to transplant, but will
grow perfectly well from seed. It likes peat soil and
a damp situation. Some of the Heaths, especially
the winter-flowering heaths, are invaluable for their
remaining in bloom a long time, and from their
being highly ornamental. The Erica herbacea (fig.
688) is especially desirable.
The Mcnzicsia polifolia (fig. 689), with its bell
flowers, is a worthy occupant of the alpinery. It requires peat earth,
and plenty of light and air.
FIG. 689. — Menziesia
polifolia.
3i8
MY GARDEN.
The Creeping Willow (Salix herbacea) should have a nook, but it
has never done well with me, from some cause which I never could
discover.
The Alpine Rose, or Rhododendron {R. ferrugineum, fig. 690), is a
plant of much interest to all who have visited alpine scenery. It does
not appear to grow well with me. Wherever it is planted peat soil
should be used.
Out of respect for the immortal naturalist Linnaeus, no less than from
the intrinsic beauty of the plant, every alpine plant cultivator should
remember the Linncea borealis (fig. 691). It does not grow readily, but
FIG. ^90. — Alpine Rose.
FIG. 691. — Linnsea borealis.
FIG. 692.— Omphalodes verna.
if planted in damp soil, in a shady place, it will thrive, and produce its
exquisite little flowers. The great naturalist was so fond of this little
plant that he adopted it for his coat of arms. I found it growing in
great luxuriance in some woods in the valley of the Don, and brought
home a fine specimen, which I trust will flourish in my alpinery.
Amongst showy flowering plants, the exquisite blue Omphalodes verna
(fig. 692) is striking, as it puts forth its flowers in spring, and, though
not uncommon, a garden may advantageously have several plants.
Somewhat resembling this latter plant, we have the Forget-me-nots,
which last from earliest spring till late in autumn. The Wood Forget-
me-not (Myosotis sylvaticd] is apt to seed too freely in the alpinery, and
therefore may be confined to the other parts of the garden, and the
M. dissitiflora (fig. 693) used in its stead : this really has a much finer
flower, but is apt to be neglected, as it opens with a reddish tint, and
does not show its full beauty till the flower is completely expanded.
ALPINE FLOWERS.
3'9
The M. rupicola (fig. 694) is more dwarfish, and is covered with large
heads of the most brilliant flowers. At the lower part of the alpinery,
at the edge of the brook, our English Forget-me-not (M. pahtstris]
gives its flowers during the summer and autumn. I have it growing
in the water, but it does not flower so freely there as when it is
planted in the earth near the water, in which situation it attains
its highest perfection. Although a common wild plant,
its beauty commands extensive growth.
FIG. 693. — Myosotis dissitiflora.
FIG. 6;4. — M. rupicjla.
Ki«. 695. — Veronica maritima.
We grow many Speedwells ( Veronica). The lovely V. Chamcedrys
grows wild with us. The V. maritima (fig. 695; is an elegant plant, and
lasts in blossom a long time. V. rcpens (fig. 696) is well adapted for
the rock-work. WTe grow also V. apliylla, V. amcena, V. Candida,
V. nummularia, V. saxatitis, V. spicata, V. Tcucrium, V. rupestrc, V.
virgintca, and other species.
FIG. 6c,6 -Veronica rej ens.
.. „, .... .... FIG. 698. — Maranthemum
FIG. txj7 —Trillium grandiflorum. v bifolium.
The Trillium grandiflorum (fig. 697) is a fine plant. It requires
some shade and a somewhat damp place, as it naturally grows in
woods in Canada. I hope to grow this plant in large quantities.
MarantJicmum bifolium (fig. 698), an ally of the Lily of the Valley, may
32?
MY GARDEN.
be grown in a similar situation : to show its white flowers to advantage
it should be grown in a good-sized patch.
The Butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris, fig. 699) is another plant liking
a damp situation. I always
find it difficult to grow, and
have continually to procure
new plants, of which there are
plenty on the moors of York-
shire and at other places.
The Irish species is larger
than the English.
Also loving a damp spot,
but full exposure to light, the
FIG. joo.-Parnassiapalustris. gloriotlS GraSS of PamaSSUS
(Parnassia palustris, fig. 700) grows. This is a flower which should
be cultivated in quantity, and I have obtained basketfuls from
Whitby to grace my garden. It flowers freely and seeds freely, but
it does not propagate well, and I am perpetually obliged to have
recourse to new importations.
The Silene acaulis (fig. 701) is highly spoken of by that able botanist
Mr. Backhouse, who describes it as adorning the crags of the Highland
and Welsh mountains, and as yielding solid carpets of pink, rose, or
Fio. 699. — Pinguicu'.a
vulgar is.
., FIG. 703. — Mazus pumilio.
FIG. 701. — Silene acauhs.
FIG. 702.- -S. alpestris.
crimson flowers. I have never seen it in that situation, but we have
it on a moderate scale. The S. alpestris (fig. 702) is another desirable
alpine plant. The Mazus pumilio (fig. 703) is a great favourite of
mine, and it produces beautiful blue flowers in great quantities.
A LPINE FL 0 1 1 'K A'. S .
321
The Epimediums are remarkable plants when in blossom in spring ;
a severe frost, however, at that time will destroy the flowers, and this
occurred in 1871. We grow three species of equal merit, but Epimedium
rubrum (fig. 704) shows their character as well as any.
The HeliantJicuium vulgare (fig. 705) does much to embellish an
alpinery. We grow several species, of which the one figured is a good
example. There are many florists' varieties of the
plant.
FIG. 704. — Epimedium rubrum.
FIG. 705. — Helianthemum vulgare.
FIG. 706. — Thalktrum minus
The foliage of the Thalictrums is useful for the alpinery. When
I first saw one species at Zermatt, I mistook it for Maiden-hair, as
the leaf is similar to that of an adiantum. We cultivate two 01
three species, but the T. minus (fig. 706) is the best. The flower is
not attractive.
Amongst plants to be grown merely for their foliage, the Alyssnm
alpcstrc (fig. 707) is curious from its stellate hairs. A variegated species
of Arabis is very showy, but it is apt to
extend itself over its neigh-
a*
§& bours, so that unless restrained
IMG. 707. — Alyssum al-
pestre (leaf nat. size, Amongst the more showy
and stellate hairs en-
plants, the Yellow Poppy (Pa-
paver nudicaule, fig. 708) is conspicuous. The FIG. 7os.-veiiow PoPPy.
colour is very striking, and I know scarcely anything more astonishing
than to see the brilliant but delicate blossoms expand under the
fiercest blaze of the sun without showing the slightest injury.
V
322
MY GARDEN.
The flowers of the varieties of Dianthus are highly ornamental, and
grow like weeds with me, scattering their seeds in all directions. We
have several species — all beautiful — and the multitude of flowers which
FIG. 709. — Dianthus chinensis.
FIG. 710. — D. fragrans.
they produce are very interesting. D. chinensis (fig. 709) is a
charming plant: D. fragrans (fig. 710) is also very beautiful.
The Statice latifolia (fig. 711) is a very desirable plant for the
alpinery ; it is a native of Siberia, and flowers late in summer
and in autumn. It has branching panicles, with innumerable small
lavender blossoms, and is a fine, handsome, hardy perennial.
FIG. 711.— Statice latifolia. FIG. 7i2.^-Alpine Snapdragon. FIG. 7i3.-Linaria tristis.
Allied to the Statice, the Thrifts are useful, and particularly the
Alpine Thrift (Armeria vulgaris), which is used for edging, but I
have not so employed it in my garden.
The Alpine Snapdragon (Linaria alpma, fig. 712) is a very valuable
rich plant, as it is in flower the greater part of the year, and seeds as
freely as any weed. There are also other snapdragons ; and amongst
our own garden plants, the antirrhinums form a most important feature,
and have been already noticed. The Linaria trfstis (fig. 713) is a
desirable acquisition.
ALPINE FLOWERS.
323
The Accena Nova Zcalamlia (fig. 714) is a very curious plant, which
grows freely with me. It sends up crimson spikes of flowers, growing
in sheets not above an inch in height.
There is a very small plant, called the Arenaria balearica (fig. 715),
which creeps over the stones, sending forth multitudes of small white
flowers.
The Pcntstcmon glaber (fig. 716) has large blue
flowers, and is brought from the Rocky Mountains.
FIG. 714. — A. Novae Zealandias.
FIG. 715. — Arenaria balearica.
FIG. 716. — Pentstemon
glaber.
The Aphyllanthes Monspelicnsis (fig. 717) is unlike any other plant,
for it has a succession of single blue flowers at the top of a rush-like
stalk. It is not often grown, but its singular habit
cannot fail to attract attention, and the general
effect produced by the plant is very pleasing.
The Geum concinncinn affords beautiful bright
scarlet flowers.
The Alyssum saxatile is rather a coarse plant,
but yet it has fine spikes of yellow flowers.
It is difficult to decide which is the most
beautiful of so large a number of lovely plants ;
nevertheless there are many that demand parti-
cular attention. The Phloxes are showy and desirable plants. The
Phlox divaricata (fig. 718) is a most excellent, low-growing plant for
rock-work. Phlox Nelsonii (fig. 719) has clear white flowers, and is very
effective and lovely. Both of these plants are easily propagated by
cuttings.
y 2
GARDEN.
The Alpine Wallflower (Cheiranthus alpinns, fig. 720) must never
be omitted from an alpinery, as its fine heads of yellow flowers make a
FIG. 718. — Phlox divaricata.
FIG. 719. — Phlox Nelsonii.
FIG. 720. — Cheiranthus alpinus.
grand display in spring. It is always advisable to have many of these
plants, which are easily obtained by cuttings, and this is a species which
may be advantageously introduced into the general flower-garden.
The Lithospennum fruticosum is perhaps somewhat unduly extolled.
It derives its generic name from the flinty hardness of the stones of the
fruit. Its dark blue flowers are its chief attraction. On the chalk hills
near us a species of lithospermum grows wild, but we have not been
able to flower it in cultivation.
Amongst the alpine plants, the glorious Gentianas are some of the
special desiderata ; but all the species are difficult, and some it is almost
impossible to cultivate. The Gentiana acaulis (fig. 721) is the garden
Gentianella. It does well in some
places, but not in others, preferring
a solid ground of sandy or gravelly
loam, and requiring abundance of
light and air. It has never suc-
ceeded so well with me as I have
seen it in other places ; never-
theless it is a lovely plant. In- FIG. 722.— G. vc-ma.
comparably superior to the last-mentioned species is the G. vcrna
(fig. 722). I have seen this in perfection at Zermatt. I have seen
it in large quantities on the St. Gothard Pass, and the few flowers
I obtain are but as the " dim shadow of glory " when compared with
FIG. 721. — Gentiana acauli*
ALPINE FLOWERS.
the blossoms which cover the plants in their natural habitats. They
should be planted against pieces of sandstone, a's the delicate roots
penetrate deeply, and like continual moisture. The plant must not
be shaded or overcrowded by any other plant. With
all our care we cannot produce perfectly well-grown
plants, but can only hope to exhibit a specimen of
the flower. The two former species have single
blue flowers, but there are other species with spikes
of flowers, such as the G. gelida (fig. 723), which
we grow with little trouble. I have seen others of
the smaller kinds on the Alps, which are excessively
difficult to grow artificially, but the whole class of
Gentianas is so exquisitely beautiful that the horti-
culturist should endeavour to cultivate any that Fu;' 72-3'~G' gdicla'
he may be able to obtain. Some of the larger kinds, as G. gelida,
are not difficult to cultivate ; and one, G. Pneumonanthe, grows wild
on some of the commons of Surrey.
Many species of Campanulas are grown in my alpineries, and yet
I do not know that there is one which I more appreciate than the
blue Hare-bell, which grows wild on the neighbouring commons, and
has even insinuated itself as a wild plant into my garden. (See Wild
Flowers.) Some species are tall growers, others creep upon the earth,
and again some are of an intermediate size ; but all are lovely.
C. pyramidalis is a fine species with blue flower, which was formerly
much used to decorate the interior
of buildings, and by management
can be grown above four feet in
height There is also a white
variety of it. C. pcrsicifolia (fig.
724), a fine species with large blue
flowers, of which there are several
florists' varieties, — one of which,
van coronata alba (fig. 725), is par-
ticularly beautiful, — is a great ornament to the alpincry.
FIG. 724.— Campanula
persicifolia.
FIG. 725. — Campanula
coronata alba.
C. rot mi-
326
MY GARDEN.
difolia, which grows about a foot high and has a blue flower, is also
a fine species. There is a white variety of it (fig. 726), which is
a desirable plant C. hirsuta (fig. 727) is a creeping plant with hairy
leaves. C. garganica is a really valuable plant for the rockeries ; and
there are many other species which it is desirable to grow in the
alpineries, but which I do not consider it requisite to describe. C.
speculum is also called Venus's Looking-glass.
..- .. FIG. 727. — C. hirsuta.
FIG. 726. — C. rotundifoha.
The Primulas are an extensive genus of plants, of which we grow
several species. I have tried Primula denticulata, but it has not
lived out of doors. I have also tried the Abyssinian Primrose (fig. 728),
but with what success I cannot as yet tell. The beautiful P. amcena
cortusoidcs (fig. 729) likewise does not thrive well with me.
FIG. 730. — P. villosa.
FIG. 728. — Abyssinian Primrose.
FIG. 729. — Primula cortusoides.
Another species (fig. 730), the name of which has been determined
to be the Primula villosa, does well. I found it in quantity in the
month of May on the Italian side of the St. Gothard Pass, lighting
up the granite rocks with great effect, as the foliage and flowers
ALPINE FLOWERS.
327
were of singular grace. I brought over many plants, which appear to
do best on the alpinery a little below the ground line.
The P. auricula, from Switzerland (fig. 731), grows with us.
The florists' varieties grow much better in Scotland than they do
in my garden. We have some varieties, but never attempt to grow
them in the perfection attained by those who make these plants
their special study.
The Soldanella alpina is a little gem in its way. It grows naturally
well protected by large stones, and is a lovely spring flower.
We grow a few plants of the Gnaphalium arenarium (fig. 732), the
French everlasting flower, of which the immortelles are made. It is
easily propagated by cuttings, but the plant has not thrived very well
with me, and has not given much blossom. Our moist atmosphere
in winter does not suit it.
FIG 731. — P. auricula.
FIG. 732. — French Everlasting.
FIG. 733.— Large Yellow
Potentilla.
The Lion's-paw Cudweed (Gnaphalium leontopodium) is a perennial
species which grows at a considerable altitude on the Alps. It is
completely covered with white silky cotton. It is said that in some
parts of the Continent young ladies, on their betrothal, always expect
to receive, as one of their earliest presents, flowers of this plant,
as a proof of the activity of the gentleman, who must ascend to a
considerable height in order to procure it. The G. dioicum is another
interesting dwarf alpine species, having red flowers.
Amongst the general flowering plants which like air and light, the
Potentillas are showy, — none more so to my eye than that troublesome
weed the P. Anserina (fig. 733), which, although it has lovely flowers,
28
MY GARDEN.
is difficult to exterminate, and must on no account be admitted to the
alpinery. We have other varieties that are interesting. (See p. 343.)
All these flowering plants are better grown in an intermediate
position, than at the top or at the bottom of the alpine mound, as
thus the roots are neither too dry nor too wet.
The Draba bcotica (fig. 734) has somewhat the appearance of a
saxifrage, but its group of flowers is very dissimilar.
FIG. 734.— Dra.ba leotica.
FIG. 735. — Aubrietia Campbelli.
FIG. 736. — Dodecatheon Meadia.
The Aubrietia Campbelli (fig. 735) is of a brighter hue than other
flowers of its genus. Its colour is violet blue, and it blossoms in
great profusion in March.
The American Cowslip (Dodecatheon Meadia, fig. 736) should not
be omitted from our flowering alpine
plants. Its erect stem, crowned
with flowers, is dissimilar from other
plants. It is perennial, and only re-
quires to remain undisturbed. There
are varieties of this interesting
flower.
FIG. 737. -Engeron spedosus. Then we have ErigeroH Roylei,
or spedosus (fig. 737), which is a handsome species
from the Himalayas; it has a yellow, disc-like flower,
with purple rays.
The Genista sagittalis (fig. 738) produces abundance Fl&> Ja|i
of yellow flowers in summer, and is consequently a valuable
plant.
ALPINE FLOWERS.
329
The Poly gala Chamcebuxus (fig. 739) is an evergreen species,
having yellow flowers, and is a very beautiful little shrub : it grows
very freely with me, and may be propagated by division.
FIG. 739.— Polygala Chamaebuxus. FIG. 740. — Linum flavum. FIG. 741. — Solidago cambrica.
The Yellow Flax (Linum flavum, fig. 740), with bright yellow
flowers, is a lovely plant from Austria, which can easily be grown in
protected places. The Welsh Golden Rod (Solidago cambrica, fig. 741)
is the species of its genus best adapted for the alpineries, and has bright
yellow flowers. The Trollius europceus (fig. 742) has a very beautiful
FIG. 742.— Trollius europaeus. FIG. 743.— Vicia Cracca.
yellow, golden flower ; and when we desire a trailing plant, the
Vicia Cracca (fig. 743) grows freely, which from difference of character
intensifies the interest of the whole group.
On the slopes of the alpinery towards the brook grow the Cranberry,
the Stoneberry (Rubus saxatilis, fig. 744), the Berberry,
the Cloudberry, and many other bog plants. Near the
water we grow the Droscra rotundifol'ia (fig. 745), and
the other English species, which I have imported by FlG'Ii4at7i£ubus
hundreds, but which never came up the second year. The D. rotmidi-
330
MY GARDEN.
folia is found on Hampstead Heath, and I have seen it on Weybridge
Common ; but the way to get it with least
trouble is to watch Covent Garden Market, as
some rustic is sure, during the season, to bring for
sale bundles of these plants. It is one of the
curious fly-catching species ; the hairy leaf is covered
with some adhesive substance, on which any insect
which may venture to settle, is entrapped. No
doubt this fly-catching apparatus performs a part
in the economy of the plant, but the philosophical
explanation is yet wanting ; I respect these singular
. T i • i IT i i
plants, 1 admire them, but 1 wonder at them.
Towards the edge of the water, the Bog Bean (Menyanthcs tri-
foliata, fig. 746) is planted, which, although it does not grow wild
in my garden, is found in one of the fields in my occupation in the
neighbourhood.
FIG. 745. — Drosera rotund]-
FIG. 746. -Bog Bean.
FIG. 747. — Calla palustris.
FIG. 748. — Hippuris vulgaris
In the same artificial swamp we have the Calla palustris (fig. 747)
and the Hippuris vnlgaris (fig. 748). The former plant is rather tender ;
but the latter is very interesting and grows very fast, but is trouble-
some on account of its spreading properties.
The above list gives but a faint idea of all the flowers I cultivate
in my alpineries, but I am always losing some plants and adding
others. If I take a journey, it is seldom that I do not add one plant.
ALPINE FLOWERS. 331
If I walk the streets of London, there are very few days on which
I do not see some enticing little plant in the shops to add to my4
collection. If I pay a visit to my friends, it is rare that there is not
something which they kindly spare. Nevertheless heat or cold, wet
or drought, insects or moles, are constantly destroying some of the
plants which I already possess, and if left alone the strong would
overpower the weak, the tall would overshadow the dwarf, and the
more showy would be protected at the expense of the modest and
unobtrusive : thus alpineries continually require watching, regulating,
and replenishing. An alpinery is a source of great enjoyment, and
may be cultivated upon the smallest or upon the largest scale. An
alpinery a foot square would hold several interesting and beautiful
plants, and an alpinery an acre in extent wrould scarcely suffice to
satisfy the demands of the earnest horticulturist, so between the two
the amateur must take his choice. Nothing in horticulture has ever
given me so much satisfaction for so little trouble as my alpinery,
which produces
f' Flowers of all heavens, and lovelier than their names."
TENNYSON.
ORNAMENTAL GRASSES,
Some of the Grasses are so lovely that they cannot be altogether
omitted from the flower-border. The Briza media
grows wild in my field as a perennial grass. The
/>. maxima (fig. 749), an annual grass, is valuable
for nosegays. The Pampas Grass is exceedingly
noble. It forms large tufts from two to three feet
across, and in the autumn sends up flower-spikes
six to eight feet high. A fine plant in goocl
condition will send up a large number of spikes
from five to eight feet high, but it has the great
disadvantage of not withstanding severe frost (see FIG 749- -BKa maxima,
plate 20). Some of my plants which have attained the highest per-
fection have been so much injured by frost as to become unsightly.
332
MY GARDEN.
One or two plants should always be grown, and replaced if destroyed
by cold.
We have the Sweet-scented Vernal Grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum,
fig. 750). It has the peculiar odour which characterizes new hay.
Like all other scents, we ,find it reproduced in many plants of very
FIG. 750. — Anthoxanthum odoratum.
FIG. 751. — Stipa pinnata.
FIG. 752. — Lagurus ovatus.
different classes ; and the same odour is noticed in the Woodruff
(Asperula odoratd}, and in the Tonka Bean (Dipterix odoratd].
1 have neglected for years the Stipa .pinnata (fig. 751). It is a
very rare English grass of surpassing
beauty, and I shall certainly plant it
again this spring.
The Lagurus ovatus (fig. 752) is
another pretty grass, that is found
occasionally in England, and it should
always be grown in the garden. There
are many other species of ornamental
grasses, which may be grown here and
there, when there is sufficient space ;
and at various times I have had many
species. One particularly must be
is a striking ornament at the Backwater, at the edge of the stream.
The common Reed (Phragwites ccwmunis, fig. 754) grows to a
ORNAMENTAL GRASSES. 333
height of ten feet, and is surmounted by an ornamental flower. Its
underground stems extend themselves beneath the surface of the soil,
and I have known them to pass under a gravel walk and come up on
the other side. It is highly ornamental when planted in a suitable
place (see plate 13). In the lower part of the Thames there are acres
of this reed, and hurdles are made of it in Essex.
The Southern species (Arundo donax] is more noble. It grows
freely on the coasts of the Mediterranean, in France and Italy, and
there attains such magnitude and strength that it is used for stakes
upon which to train vines. Although it there makes such stupendous
growth every year, in this country it does not grow beyond six or
seven feet in a season.
There is a fine species of grass in Ceylon, the Lemon Grass
(Andropogon schce?ianthus) ; it requires here a stove temperature in
winter or a greenhouse in summer. When its leaves are bruised,
it exhales the lemon perfume. It grows with me in the orchard-house
in the summer and in the fernery in the winter. This Lemon
Grass yields an essential oil, which is sold in large quantities for
the verbena scent. It is sometimes employed to flavour sugar, and
I am informed that an ounce of the oil of this grass will flavour at
least a ton of sugar.
We grow in the fernery an
exquisite form of a variegated
grass (Panicum varicgatnin, fig.
755). It does not like shade
in winter, and, indeed, without
abundance of light it speedily
dies. It is, however, very rich
in colour, and exceedingly
beautiful.
The CoUCh GraSS (fig. 756), F'G ^--Var^ed Grass. F,r, 756. -Couch G, ass.
which I shall mention again under the head of Weeds, is the
abomination of gardeners : we have it in small quantities.
The Cock's-foot Grass (Dactylis gloinci'iita, fig. 757) grows on the
334
MY GARDEN.
banks of our river. When in flower, the quantity of pollen which is
produced is prodigious. From five years of age till within the last
few years I suffered annually from hay fever, and could hardly venture
beyond the precincts of London when this grass was in flower, which
was generally between the roth and 2oth of June. The malady, how-
ever, suddenly left me, and I can now look with impunity at the
pollen which falls from the flower. Whilst the disease lasted, nothing
benefited me but opium, tobacco, and darkness.
There is a variety of
this grass with coloured
leaves which has been
sometimes used for
edging.
The Car ex pendula
(fig- 758) is a wild
plant, growing near
* ^ London. I remember,
FIG. 757.— Cock's-foot Grass. FIG. 7s8.-Carex pendula. when a Student, finding
it at Hampstead. It grows freely at Hornsey. It is a magnificent
plant, and is very showy. The effect of the common sedge by the
side of our lake is fine, and is well shown in plate 16, where the
sedge between the eel-trap and the Overfall adds greatly to the
general effect.
WEEDS AND WILD PLANTS.
" By the love
Of their wild blossoms our young footsteps first
Into her deep recesses are beguiled." — MRS. HEMANS.
Byron, speaking of the wild plants of Italy, says, " All thy weeds
are flowers ; " which may truly be said of those of my garden, for
many beautiful flowers come up spontaneously as weeds, without our
care, without our thought, and without our cultivation. The first
WEEDS AND WILD PLANTS.
335
beautiful weed which appears abundantly in spring, is the Ranunculus
ficaria (fig. 759). It has brilliant yellow blossoms and a shining leaf.
There is scarcely even a cultivated flower which is finer. After this the
Marsh Mangold (Caltha palustris, fig. 760) comes up, and we preserve
FIG. 759. — Ranunculus ficaria.
FIG. 760. — Caltha palustris.
FIG. 761.— Yellow Water Iris.
it. The flower is most noble, and at a particular period of the year
it is the special glory of the garden.. There is a double variety of it
very beautiful, but not so beautiful as the natural blossom. Although
a wild plant, it should always be grown.
By the side of our lake the Yellow Water Iris (Iris pseud-acorus,
%• 76i) grows in great perfection. It was not at first an inhabitant
of my garden, though it grew abun-
dantly in the next field, but we have
it now in large quantities. A flower-
spike when gathered has the rare merit
of preserving its blossom for a con-
siderable period.
The Bulrush (fig. 762) also is a
plant imported from the next field.
Together with the Iris, it forms a
capital shelter for moor-fowl, which
now abound in the lake.
Another wild flower, the Purple
Loosestrife (Ly thrum salicaria, fig.
763), contributes much to the beauty of all river-sides in midsummer.
It comes up naturally all over my grounds, and is perennial. It
forms heads of a purplish red, which are magnificent. We also
FIG. 762. — Bulrush.
FIG. 763. — Purple
Loosestrife.
336
MY GARDEN,
cultivate a variety of this plant called L. roscum ; I observe, however,
that in a wild state each plant differs in the intensity and brilliancy
of its colour. River scenery would be shorn of half its interest if
deprived of this important wild plant. In particular, it contributes
its share to the wonderful colouring of the banks of the Thames
in summer.
Later in the season, the Figwort (ScropJiularia imdosa, fig. 764)
flowers along the banks of the Wandle. It is a
singular and interesting wild plant.
We have imported from the valley of the Thames
the beautiful Flowering Rush (Butoinits iiuibcllatus, fig.
765), which grows sparingly all along the banks of the
Thames, and also along those of the Lea. It has not
yet flowered with me.
It is noteworthy that the charming White Water
Lily does not grow in my garden, and cannot be made
to do so. Whether it is the quality of the water, or its
low temperature in summer, I cannot tell. We have
tried the plant several times without success, and one of my neighbours
did the same during a series of years, but utterly failed to acclimatize
it. Neither have we the Yellow Water-lily in our streams.
FIG. 764.— Figwort.
FIG. 765. — Flowering Rush.
FIG. 766. — Frog-bit.
FIG. 767. —Speedwell.
The Frog-bit (Hydrocharis morsus-rance, fig. 766) is a charming plant.
It was imported from the neighbouring common, and it grows and
flowers in a tiny pond.
In early spring a most lovely weed takes the liberty of coming up
WEEDS AND WILD PLANTS.
337
spontaneously in our alpineries and borders, the Speedwell (Veronica
ckamadrys, fig. 767). Its flower soon drops when gathered, but it
blossoms to gladden our eyes when the nightingales delight our ears,
and when this flower appears we know that summer is at hand. It is
indeed a beauty amongst all the beauties of the garden. In the water
the allied Veronica Bcccabunga prospers.
Growing side by side with this lovely plant, the Ground Ivy flourishes
in great perfection. It is highly ornamental in its proper position.
Immediately after this lowly creeping plant, the Ox-eye (Chrysan-
themum leucantJicmuni] throws up its brilliant white flowers, and looks
as if it had a right to assert itself and be quite satisfied with its
own appearance. In Scotland, the beautiful C. segctum (fig. 768) is as
common as the C. leucanthemnm is near London. I brought some
plants this autumn from that country, but whether
they will do in our climate time alone will show.
FIG. 768. — Chrysanthemum
segetum.
FIG. 769.— Lysirnachia nummularia.
FIG. 770. — Spiraea ulmaria.
During the summer the Moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia, fig.
769) puts forth blossoms along its creeping stems, making these look
as if they were covered with guineas. It is a universal favourite,
and may continually be seen hanging down from the window-sills in
^London, where I always admire it. I have a variety of it, the leaves
of which are of a golden colour ; when, however, the flowers come out,
there is no contrast between leaf and blossom, and it is in fact, like
many other florists' flowers, an instance of nature deteriorated by art.
The odoriferous Meadow-sweet (Spircza ulmaria, fig. 77°) comes
33'^
J/F GARDEN.
up wild over our garden and field, as though determined not to
" waste its sweetness in the desert air." I carefully cultivate this
plant, and, when mixed with the allied pink species from Japan, it
can hardly be surpassed by the flowers of the garden.
FIG 771. — Malva sylvcstris.
FIG. 772. — Datura Stramonium.
Fine specimens of the Mallow plant (Malva syfcestris, fig. 771)
grow in our fitld. It is really a grand plant, but too large to
introduce into the garden, except in the most uncultivated parts.
The Achillea millifolium springs up on our lavni, but the mow-
ing machine effectually prevents it from flowering. I do not object
FIG. 773.— Myosotis palustris.
FIG. 774. — Water Ranunculus.
to its presence, but on the contrary rather approve of it.
grand Datura Stramonium (fig. 772) grows occasionally in our
asparagus-beds.
By the side of our brooks the true Forget-me-not (Myosotis palustris t
fig. 773), one of the most beautiful of all flowers, blossoms abundantly ;
U'EEDS AXD \VILD
339
and in the water itself the Water Ranunculus (fig. 774), with its dark
green divided leaves, "shows that Nature has a plant for every position.
I should not like to be deprived of the Buttercups and Daisies
which come up in our field, and which put to shame many a florists'
distortion. I have found the sweet-scented violet on the banks of a
hedge; and in shady spots the Chrysosplenium oppositifolinm (fig. 775)
forms patches of considerable beauty.
I have elsewhere alluded to the beautiful Brisa media grass ; also
to the Water grass and to the Reed, which grow in our brooks.
Those weeds already described, taken together, form a choice flower
FIG. 775 — Chrysosplenium
oppositifolium.
FIG. 776. — Ivy-leaved Duckweed.
FIG. 777. — Lesser Duckweed.
garden of themselves, ay, and contain species of greater beauty and of
greater variety than are to be found in some well-dug, well-hoed,
and well-raked artificial flower-gardens, — continually interfered with
by the gardener's art.
Besides these exquisite flowering weeds, there are others interesting,
but unpretending. We have two Duckweeds
in our water, — the Lcmna Irisulca, or Ivy-leaved
Duckweed (fig. 776), and the Lcmna minor,
or Lesser Duckweed (fig. 777). In the water
we have the beautifully foliaged CallitricJie
(fig. 778), which is always welcome in a trout
stream, — forming charming leafy grottoes,
beneath which the trout delight to remain
at rest.
We have introduced into our waters one or two plants of the
z 2
FIG. 778. — Callitriche (in water).
MY GARDEN.
Arrow-head plant (Sagittaria sagittifolia, fig. 779) from the Thames.
In the river above Oxford this plant is very troublesome, and some-
times encroaches to such an extent as to impede navigation, as it grows
completely across the river. The flower, however, is very beautiful,
and the whole plant so interesting as to be worthy of culture.
Another water-side plant, the Alisma Plant ago (fig. 780), is fine in
its place, although not so beautiful as the Sagittaria. It comes up
spontaneously at the edge of my backwater.
FIG. 779 — Sagittaria sagittifolia.
FIG. 780. — Alisma Plantago.
FIG. 781. — Epiiobium hirsutum.
Along the whole of the banks of our river the Epiiobium hirsutum
(fig. 781) grows as plentifully as we will permit it. This is another
of those various plants that make the banks of the Thames more
beautiful than any cultivated flower-garden. It does not grow so
fine in my garden as it does on the banks of larger rivers, but looks
rather straggling and weedy ; nevertheless a plant here and there is
ornamental.
I have in a little pond the Water Soldier
(fig. 782), a curious plant, which grows wild
in some of the ponds on Clapham and
Wandsworth Commons. In autumn little
bulb-like buds are formed, from which new
plants grow in the succeeding spring. I have
FIG. 782.— water Soldier. also on the margin of the same pond the
Hydrocotyle vulgare (fig. 783), which grows freely on Mitcham
Common.
But now we have to speak of very troublesome weeds, which
WEEDS AND WILD PLANTS. 341
grow where they are^ not wanted, and which interfere more or less
seriously with horticulture. We are very much troubled with a lovely
plant called the Marchantia (see Liverworts), which springs up in my
artificial bogs and sandstone rocks, thereby destroying my bog plants,
which are difficult enough to grow without the interference of the
Marchantia. It has a sort of green leaf, which sends up a forest of
stalks, from which the spores emanate. Although so troublesome a
FIG. 783. — Hydrocotyle vulgare. FIG. 784. — Anacharis.
weed, it is welcome in small quantities, and is one of our finest natural
plants.
We have as troublesome a plant, which lives in water, in the
Anacharis (fig. 784), or, as Sowerby calls it, the Elodia canadensis, as
we have in the Marchantia^ which lives on land. It is naturally a North
American plant, and was first seen in this country in 1842, but it has
now spread all over Great Britain and Ireland. It does not grow in
very deep water, and prefers water with manure. Mr. Thornthwaite
tried the experiment in one of my greenhouses of placing a weighed
portion in distilled water, in the river water — which then received the
sewage of Croydon, — and in a mixture of the two. In a short time
the growth of the plant in river water far exceeded that of the plant
placed in pure water, and that in the mixed waters had an intermediate
growth. This shows that an important effect of preventing the pollution
of rivers would be to lessen the quantity of this most troublesome
plant. It is a trial of patience for a fisherman when his hooked
pike gets into this weed. I was informed by Professor Owen that
swans eagerly devoured the Anacharis ; accordingly, acting upon his
342
MY GARDEN.
FIG. 785. — Bryonia dioica.
advice, I procured some, and found the statement to be correct. We
have now generally a good brood of young swans, which feed so
greedily upon this weed, that but little remains in my water. The
female plant alone exists in this country, and the flower is shown
in the wood engraving.
Amongst the climbing plants we have the Bryony (Bryonia dioica,
fig- 785), a plant which, when old, has a root
as large as two or three parsnips. Its growth
./* is particularly elegant, and an occasional plant
jf is welcome amongst the shrubs.
^
Not so beautiful in growth, but having a
finer effect in fruit, the Nightshade (Solatium
dulcamara, fig. 786) rears itself over the shrubs,
and produces its enticing scarlet bunches of
poisonous berries. It is so great an ornament
amongst shrubs, that I have not the heart
to extirpate it.
We have two beautiful flowering plants which are great pests, as
they will make their appearance where they
are not wanted. One is the common Con-
volvulus, or Bindweed, which in my garden
attains the height of twenty feet in a single
season, and then sends forth its charming
white flowers. The best way to destroy it
is constantly to pull off its young shoots
during spring and summer. Doing this once FIG. 786. -soianum dulcamara.
or twice will not hurt the plant, any more than we hurt our asparagus
plants by decapitating them ; nevertheless, by perseverance the plant
becomes exhausted. The other climbing plant which is a great pest
to us is the wild Hop, as it will pertinaciously grow over our
hedges. It is very beautiful, but destroys the hedge, and so we
are obliged to treat it as we do the wild Convolvulus.
We are also troubled in places with that most exquisite flower the
Lesser Bindweed (Convolvulus arvcnsis, fig. 787). This grows in the
WEEDS AND WILD PLANTS.
343
highest possible luxuriance on the neighbouring chalk downs, where it
attains a perfection unknown elsewhere. I love this weed for the
beauty of its blossom, as well as for the delicious odour which the
flower exhales. It does not, however, attain to so great a perfection
in my garden as it does on the chalk hills.
Growing amongst my Sempervivums is the lovely Potcntilla Anserina
(fig. 788). The only mode of destroying it without disturbing our
plants is continually to strip it of its leaves. It is one of the most
beautiful of all the plants of its class, from the
brilliancy of its flowers and the colour of its leaves,
but yet amongst cultivated plants it must be
ranked as one of the most noxious of weeds.
Amongst other weeds which we should like
to entirely dispense with, although we have it to
FIG. 787. — Convolvulus
arvensis.
FIG. 788.— Potentilla Ansarina.
0
FIG. 789. —Arum maculatum.
a very limited extent, is the Couch grass (see Grasses). Every
portion of its root must be removed by turning over the ground
repeatedly in summer. At Naples the underground stems of this, or
of a species like it, form the chief food for the horses.
Groundsel and Chickweed trouble us, but a good gardener is always
cutting off their heads, and so we are upon the whole very free from
these weeds, considering that mine is a half-wild garden.
The Arum maculatum (fig. 789) is an interesting plant, that thrives
in our hedge-rows. I have attempted to introduce, but without suc-
cess, a small and curious species of arum from the shores of the
Mediterranean, where it is, in some places, so thick as literally to cover
the ground.
344
MY GARDEN.
By the side of the Backwater, we have a grand and glorious weed,
called the Petasites vulgaris. Johns speaks of it as the most pernicious
of weeds, but growing as it does with us, it is one of the grandest of
plants. The flowers come up in early spring, before the leaves, but
afterwards the foliage appears, having more the character of tropical
vegetation than that of a temperate region. The effect of the plant is
well shown in plate 18, which represents the
glorious mass of foliage that it exhibits in
summer. This plant must be introduced in
wild spots only where it can have abundance
of space and ample moisture.
Another fine foliaged plant is the Ruincx
aquaticus (fig. 790), which attains a height of
six feet. We have a very fine specimen of
it growing in the river at the park fence,
which is remarkably handsome. The R. aqua-
ticus, or Water Dock, is to be seen along the
banks of the Thames, and it is one of those
plants which impart a special character to the scene.
The Gigantic Parsnip (Heracleum giganteunt) is a splendid plant
for effect, in suitable positions. I have it in the garden, but not of
the highest quality.
The Sow Thistle requires constant attention for its eradication, and
the Creeping Ranunculus is a troublesome weed. The beautiful Thistle
comes up in our fields, but the spade of the gardener always
prevents it from seeding: thereby I am so merciless as to deprive
my pet caged goldfinch— which continually enlivens me with its
cheerful song— of this its favourite dessert.
" Pro molli viola, pro purpureo narcisso
Carduus et spinis surgit paliurus acutis."
VIRGIL, Bucolics.
Of course grass will grow, but, as before mentioned, we are
singularly free from troublesome weeds, thanks to the diligence of the
gardener. Weeds need not at all times be profitless ; for raspberries,
FIG. 790.— Water Dock.
WEEDS AND WILD PLANTS.
345
currants, and gooseberries come up from bird-dropped seeds. The ash
and horse-chestnut appear in a troublesome way from the same cause,
and the elderberry is a pest. I never have known, in my garden, an
apple, pear, or plum tree to spring up spontaneously, though seedling
peaches occasionally appear.
Amongst destructive weeds, I have seen the Dodder (Cuscuta
Epithymnm, fig. 791) attack my cranberry plants,
but only on one occasion. I was too pleased to
have a specimen in the place to do it any
damage; but as I did not destroy the dodder,
the dodder killed my cranberry. It is a most
destructive plant to clover, killing patches of it
a yard in diameter. It has no roots, but lives
by sucking out by dialysis the juices of the
plants on which it lives.
In glancing at our wreeds, it will be seen how far the presence of
the river Wandle in the garden influences their growth, for the greater
part of those which I have figured naturally flourish on the banks
of a river, or on ground adjacent to it.
FIG. 791.— Lesser Dodder.
THE
" Spawn, weeds, and filth, a leprous scum,
Made the running rivulet thick and dumb."— SHELLEY.
We have many Algae in my garden, which are interesting, as they
represent the lowest types of vegetal life. On the
palings of the Park and on the trunks of the trees a
green dust is formed in winter, which is the Protococcus
viridis (fig. 792). It is composed of minute
cells, and a high magnifying power is required ''\\o?*'£\*
to examine them satisfactorily. Fi^. 703 FIG. 79?.— Proto-
J ' ' ° coccus viridis, FIG. 793.— Ditto, x
shows the plant magnified 600 times; for
when increased only 100 times (fig. 792) the green dust still only
appears to be composed of fine particles.
346
MY GARDEN.
Creeping over the ground immediately after the frost has passed
away, we have a green mossy-looking growth (Lyngbya muralis)
composed of very delicate fibres, which when magnified 100 diameters
(fig. 794) appears simply to have transverse septa dividing the tubes,
but when further magnified to 300 diameters (fig. 795) discloses its
structure at everv cell.
FIG. 794. — Lyngbya muralis.
X 100 ciiain.
FIG. 796. — Nostoc commune.
FIG. 795. — Ditto, X 3oocliam.
Later in the season, upon the gravel-paths after rain, a curious
plant, called Nostoc commune, appears (fig. 796). It resembles a dark
green jelly, and- has a structure under the microscope which the
engraving very well shows.
But the more important confervse live in the water, and exercise
an influence upon the state of the river. Early in spring the Conferva
rivularis (fig. 797) appears. When seen by the naked eye, it has delicate
FIG. 797. — Conferva rivularis, nat. size.
FIG. 798. — Conferva rivularis, x 100 dia
FIG. 799. — Conferva, x 50 diam.
long wavy threads ; but when magnified 100 diameters (fig. 798), every
thread is seen to be jointed, and has a cell in the interior of every
division. The coarse conferva in fig, 799 shows well how fine the
filaments of C. rivularis are when compared with other species.
THE ALGsE.
347
By the sides of the brook a much coarser variety, called Cladop/wra
crispata, appears, which is frequently a troublesome pest where we
grow plants in pans of water in our greenhouses. The fibres are
visible to the naked eye, and are branched, and not continuous, as
those of C. nvularis are. Fig.
800 shows these fibres of the
natural size, and also when
magnified 100 diameters. In
our Central stream and in our
Backwater, in winter and in
early spring, we have numerous
Specimens Of the beautiful frog's FIG. 800.— Cladophora crispata, nat. size and x 100 diam.
spawn conferva, the BatracJwspermum moniliforme (fig. 80 1), which
is figured the natural size, and also when it is magnified IOO
diameters. It is a much-esteemed object for the microscope. It is
not a universal plant in streams, but enough grows in rny garden to
supply all the microscopists in England. It adheres to the stones in
water about a foot deep.
Fu,. 801. — Katrachospermum njoniliforme, nat. size and x 100 diam.
FJO. 802. — Cladophora
glotnerata, nat. size
and x loo diam.
Contrasting with this, which is of a dark colour, we observe here
and there small quantities of the most brilliant grass-green wavy
patches. This is the Cladophora glomerata (fig. 802), and a truly
magnificent microscopic object it is. The arrangement of its fibres
is barely visible to the eye ; when, however, it is magnified 100 dia-
meters, it shows well its branched form, and when further enlarged
it exhibits its more intimate structure.
348
MY GARDEN.
A more beautiful plant, and one more rare, is the Draparnaldia
glomerata (fig. 803), which is remarkable in having a large central stem,
from which other stems branch. This is
also a superb microscopic object.
In March, bright green irregular patches
of vegetal structure rise to the top of the
water of the lake and of the Backwater.
When examined by the microscope with a
power of 100 diameters, they present to
view a number of cells. This is called the
Tetraspora lubrica (fig. 804). At the bottom
of the river patches of bright green confervae are found. These, when
magnified by the microscope 100 diameters, show every filament to
be jointed ; and when further examined with a power of 400 diameters,
a beautiful spiral structure is brought to view. I have hitherto not
been able to discover any mode of permanently mounting this object,
as, strange to say, it invariably shrivels, and loses its beautiful spiral
FIG. 803. — Draparnaldia glomerata,
x ioo diam.
FIG. 804. — Tetraspora lubrica, x ioo diam.
FIG. 805.— Zygnema spiralis (upper fig.
x ioo diam., lower fig. x 400 diam.).
structure. The name of this form is the Zygnema spiralis (fig. 805).
About July it suddenly takes a start ; and grows with such rapidity
that I have drawn out associated filaments fifteen yards long. It
covers the surface of the water with a dense scum, as is shown in
plate 14. Thousands of water-insects and water-snails live in it.
The trout resort to it, and the ever active call-ducks amuse them-
selves all the day long with feeding on the creatures which live
upon it. Sometimes we remove tons upon tons, but this is a great
trouble and causes some annoyance, as when decomposing it smells
disagreeably. The miller tried to make it into paper, but it was
found that the fibre has no strength. When the September rains
THE DESMIDS.
349
FIG. 806. — Conjugation
of Confervse.
come it dies, breaks away, and passes down the river, to grow again
and run the same course next year.
There are other confervae in the river, such as the one magnified
50 diameters (fig. 799), but enough have been figured
to show generally the characters of this class of
vegetation. Towards autumn a curious process takes
place with the confervoid filaments ; two parallel
fibres send out processes and unite together. This
is called conjugation (fig. 806), and has some sin-
gular effect upon the cells of the fibres themselves,
which results in a discharge of spores, from which
the plant is reproduced the next year. The engraving
is taken from a drawing by the late eminent microscopist Mr.
Quekett.
After the Algae we have plants of much interest and great
microscopical beauty, called Desmids. These are not very numerous
in my garden, as they prefer little pools the temperature of which is
higher than in my streams ; but we
have some six or seven species in small
quantities : the character of our water FIG. so/.-ciosterium Leibidnii, x 150 diam.
evidently does not suit them. Their use in the great scheme of
creation is unknown. I have given the figure of Closterium Leibleinii
(fig. 807) as an example of this kind of plant life.
After the Desmids there is an extraordinary group of plants called
Diatomes (figs. 808 to 814), of which systematic writers make many
genera, which literally abound at my garden. If we look one day
at our rippling brooks, the pebbles are as bright as the ornaments
in a well-kept drawing-room, but if we look a few days afterwards they
are covered apparently with dirt and slime. Not so, however; that
seeming dirt and slime is vegetal organism, replete with interest, and
is called a diatome. Some persons have considered these plants to
belong to the animal kingdom, so obscure is their purpose, but all
MY GARDEN.
diatomes agree in having a siliceous skeleton. This skeleton has been
more observed than the organism itself, and there are many
microscopists who devote their time to the observation of the beautiful
marking on this siliceous body. Mr. Miiller, a German, sells as an
FIG. 808. — Epithemia turgida, FIG. 809. — Surinella biscriata,
x 200 diam.. * 200 diam.
FIG. 810. — Cocconema FIG. 811. — Pinnularia
lanceolatum, x 200 diam. major, x 200 diam.
article of commerce a microscopic slide containing four hundred of
these siliceous particles for four guineas, which is perhaps one of the
most marvellous feats in microscopical manipulation which has ever
been accomplished. Mr. William Thornthwaite has
particularly examined the diatomes in my garden,
and has noticed about fifty species.
Every season seems to have its
particular variety, which comes and
passes away with great rapidity. As
the plant life of these vegetals is
FIG. 812. — Cymelopletira FIG. 813.— Pleurosigma
solea, x 200 diam. attenuatum, x 200 diam.
FIG. 814. — Campylodiscus spiralis,
x 200 diam.
quite unknown, and as the cause for the variation in the form and
figure of the silex is equally unknown, the study of the diatomes
THE DTATOMES. 351
in my streams would afford occupation for a long lifetime. At present
the microscopists are only upon the fringe of the subject. They
have not discovered the accurate and complete natural history of a
single diatome. These siliceous plants have been so common in some
part of the world's history that thick fossil beds of great extent have
been discovered which are one mass of them. At Richmond in America
there is a bed of these fossils twenty miles long and several feet in
depth. Polishing powders usually contain these siliceous particles, and
guano is said to contain a large proportion. As there is reason to
suppose that some fish use them for food, I have caused the intes-
tines of young trout to be examined for them, but \vithout success.
In the natural state they are more beautiful than in the dead skeleton
form which is so attractive to many members of the microscopical
Societies. The Melosira varians looks like a number of hat-boxes
placed end to end. The Meridian circulare resembles a wheel with
its spokes. The Diatome vnlgare resembles a flight of stairs. The
examination of the growing species in our little streams is replete
with interest.
MOSSES.
There are not many species of Moss in my garden, although
between four and five hundred species are
found in Great Britain. We have however, in
the river, growing abundantly in some situa-
tions, the Fontinalis antipyrctica (fig. 815),
which contains so much silex that it is used
by the Laplanders to prevent their wooden
houses from burning.
The Funaria hygromctrica (fig. 816) grows
freely in my garden, and is an interesting
object.
To observe this class of the lower plants Fir" 8'5-Fontinalis
more attentively a mossery has been planted in the fern glen ; but an
unforeseen difficulty occurred which never could have been anticipated:
352
MY GARDEN.
blackbirds have found it out, and scratch up my mosses as badly as,
if not worse than, chickens.
One great favourite of mine, Miiium undulatum (fig. 817), which is
as beautiful as any filmy fern, I grow under glass. I have figured
FIG. 816.— Funaria hygrometrica.
FIG. 818. — Mnium cuspidatum.
FIG. 817. — Mnium undulatum.
also another species, M. cuspidatum (fig. 818), a little moss which
grows freely with us over rocks and stones. Sphagnum (fig. 819) does
not grow out of doors with me, although I have planted it again
and again. This is extensively used in the growth of our orchids.
FIG. 819. — Sphagnum acutifolium.
FIG. 820. — Hypnum ruscifolium.
We have in our streams the Hypnum ruscifolium (fig. 820). It
grows completely under the water, and the specimen from which the
MOSSES. 353
drawing was made was taken from one of the sources of the Wandle
in Carshalton village.
A very common Hypnum or Feather Moss creeps over our stones
and wood, and growing as it does in winter, when vegetation naturally
rests, affords us an object for admiration and study, when flowering
plants have ceased their growth.
We have also other common mosses, as Pottia truncata, Brynm
intermedium, Tortnla mnralis, Ceratodon purpurcns, Hypnnm scrpeus
H. rutabnlwn, and H. splcndens.
The experience gained in my mossery has convinced me that with
knowledge, skill, and attention, it is practicable, although difficult, to
establish such an appendage to the garden ; and I trust that hereafter
no horticulturist will dispense with the mossery.
LICHENS.
The Lichens are a class of plants allied to the Algae on the one
hand, and to the Fungi on the other. I once thought that we had
only two or three species, but a lichenologist, the Rev. J. M. Crombie,
in a morning's walk speedily discovered a dozen kinds. The lichens
have been supposed to live entirely upon the atmosphere, and to
derive no nutriment from the plants, stones, or sticks to which they
FIG. 823. — Lecanora subfiuca.
i u "ur.igiuu.
attach themselves; nevertheless, they appear to be very hurtful to
plants, and therefore I should imagine that they abstract some
nourishment from them. On the apple-trees we have at least two
species. The species which I have figured from my garden are— Ra-
maliua fastigiala (fig. 821), which grows on old trees; Physcia parietina
\ \
354 MY GARDEN.
(fig. 822), which grows on fruit trees in several places; and Lecanora
subfusca (fig. 823), which also grows on fruit trees. Some species
are found on the walls and dead wood of the bridges. There is a
species which 'grows on the trunk of a large willow-tree, which in one
stage of growth appears as a large white patch. It appears to grow
suddenly in mid-winter, when the pure white colour of the circular
patches is very striking and remarkable. On the hills above Heidel-
berg the trees are covered with lichens of large size ; but wherever
lichens attacked the boughs of the trees they died : whether or no
this was caused by the lichens, I had not sufficient facts upon which
to form an opinion. My attempts to cultivate the lichens have not
at present been attended with success, either out of doors or under
glass. Six hundred and fifty-eight species live in England.
" Retiring Lichen climbs the topmost stone,
And drinks the aerial solitude alone." — DARWIN.
LIVERWORTS.
I have already noticed the Marchantia
(fig. 824) amongst the garden weeds. The
M. polymorpha covers all the blocks of
sandstone out of doors as well as in the
glass fernery. It is, however, a very beau-
tiful plant, especially when in fruit, and
would be much more highly esteemed if
FIG 824. -^Marchamia. * we had not a great deal too much of it
for the due preservation of our other plants.
FUNGI.
" And agarics and fungi, with mildew and mould,
Started like mist from the wet ground cold ;
Pale, fleshy, as if the decaying dead
With a spiric of growth had been animated ! "—SHELLEY.
A certain knowledge of Fungi is indispensable to the horticulturist,
and but few of us who cultivate plants have as much knowledge
FUNGI.
355
as we ought to have upon so important a point. There are nearly
3,000 species reputed to belong to Great Britain ; so after making a
reasonable allowance for a multiplication of species, there remains a
larger number than the ordinary horticulturist can be expected
to master in detail. Some fungi are good articles of food, as the
mushroom, morel, and truffle, without which no recherche dinner at the
present time can ever be said to be perfect : others are suspicious,
and none should ever be eaten unless the name and character of the
fungus is known. There is even reason to suppose that fungi ordinarily
eatable, sometimes, from some unknown reason, become poisonous. In
structure fungi are composed of interlacing longitudinal fibres, which
always grow from the end, and are divided by septa at right angles
to the axis. These cells never divide longitudinally ; in fact, the.
structure consists of closed tubes placed end to end. This structure
is called the mycelium. After a time, cells are developed at right
angles to the mycelium, and these produce spores, which generate
(fig. 122). This is the second method of propagation. Lastly, bodies
analogous to zoopores are formed, which have the power of moving
about and attaching themselves to a suitable material, when they
reproduce the species ; and this is the third mode of propagation.
The first fungus which is worthy of notice is the ordinary Yeast
fungus (Tonda ccrcvisice, fig. 825), which is present in all fermenting
liquors. It consists of cells which
propagate by other cells forming
on their exterior. It is the active
organism in the production of
vinegar from sugar. It is probably
only a condition of the next de-
scribed fungus.
The second fungus which it is
important to notice is the Pcni-
cillium glaucum, or Blue Mould (fig. 826), which covers most decaying
substances. It throws up at right angles to the mycelium heads
which are covered with spores.
A A 2
FIG. 826. —Blue Mo.ild, magnified.
356
MY GARDEN.
Our root-work is the nidus of numerous fungi. The Trametes
gibbosa (fig. 827), which grows from the stumps of old wood in our
ferneries, is an example of this. Another species, the Tarragon fungus
(Agaricus euosmus, fig. 828), grows in my garden. When first gathered
FIG. 827. — Trametes g.bbosa.
FIG. 829. — Tubercularia vulgaris,
nat. size and magnified.
FIG. 828. — Agaricus euosmus.
it smells like tarragon. It was particularly described by our veteran
fungologist, the Rev. Mr. Berkeley. Many other species grow on our
root-work. The smaller sticks often exhibit a beautiful small red
fungus called the Tubercularia vulgaris (fig. 829).
The curious Myxogastres, which is regarded by some persons as
a connecting link between animal and vegetal bodies, is also found
represented by the Lycogala epidcndrum (fig. 830), which shows itself on
the larger blocks of stone in the month of March. The Polyporus
versicolor is abundant at the same time. The Xylaria Jiypoxylon, the
FIG. 830. -Lycogala epidendrum
(spores x 700 diam.).
FIG. 831. — Agaricus disseminatus.
Coprinns micaceus, the C. atramentarius, and the Trametes gibbosa,
with the Agaricus spadiceus, grow upon, or in the neighbourhood of,
the roots.
The Agaricus disseminatus (fig. 831), with its little forest of mush-
rooms, is very remarkable, and may often be seen near decaying roots.
FUNGI.
357
Growing in our highly manured ground, we have the curious Peziza
vesiculosa (fig. 832). It has the singular property of shooting the
spores out of the cup like a puff of smoke, which the engraving
illustrates.
We have other fungi growing in manured ground, of which
the Mushroom (Agaricus campestris, fig. 833) is a notable example. It
comes up from time to time in different places about our garden, but
I believe such developments have invariably an horticultural origin,
from some mushroom bed having been thrown into the garden : we
obtain the finest flavoured mushrooms from this source. The mush-
FIG. 832. — Peziza vesiculosa, showing
dispersion of spores, and part of the
Znenium magnified 100 diameters,
wing spores emerging from the
asci.
FIG. 834.— Cells of Mushroom
magnified.
FIG. 833. — Mushroom.
room is composed of a multitude of elongated cells, as is shown under
the microscope (fig. 834). The cultivation of the Mushroom is so
important in a culinary point of view, that no garden can be said to
be perfect if it does not yield a constant supply. We have never
had sufficient quantity from my garden; yet when I attended to it in
London we were never without mushrooms. Nothing can be easier
than the culture of the mushroom if everything is rightly done, but
any deviation from the right course is sure to be followed by signal
failure.
To grow mushrooms artificially, fresh horse-droppings must be
obtained from the stables. This material must be placed in covered
airy sheds till thoroughly dry. The dry droppings are then rammed
into a solid bed in any convenient outhouse, which will cause the
material to heat. If the mass becomes too hot, it will be spoilt ; but
if it does not exceed blood-heat, pieces of spawn which contain the
358 MY GARDEN.
mycelium of the mushroom, about the size of an egg, are inserted into
various parts of the bed. The mushroom bed must then be kept
perfectly dry for about six weeks, when, if all things have gone on
well, the mycelium, or long threads of the spawn, will have run
throughout the bed. During this period drought is absolutely
necessary for success, and the house containing the bed should be
kept at a temperature of about 60° Fahr. If after the interval of six
or seven weeks the mushroom spawn has filled the material, the bed
should be gently syringed with lukewarm water ; but if too much
water is given, the mycelium will rot. A few days after watering little
buttons are formed, which in a few hours expand into mushrooms. The
conditions above described must be strictly observed, for if one of them
is varied failure is certain. Some years ago I experimented upon the
growth of mushrooms, and soon attained to such perfection in their
cultivation that I was able to raise a crop of mushroom buttons in
a soup-plate placed in the wine-cellar. Some gardeners cover their
mushroom-beds with loam, but this is not necessary, and I have never
done so.
In the fields there are many varieties of mushrooms of varying
excellence, and likewise some cultivated varieties far surpass others^
so that any spawn which does not prove to be of the highest quality
should be discarded. Any known good variety may be propagated
to an indefinite extent by the mycelium (fig. 123), as other varieties
may appear by sowing the spores (fig. 122). The material called
mushroom spawn is usually made of horse-droppings formed into
masses shaped like bricks, through which the mycelium is allowed to
penetrate.
A mushroom-bed will last till the animal matter of which it is
composed is exhausted, therefore the duration of the bed must depend
upon the rate at which the mushrooms are developed. Warmth and
moisture cause the mushrooms to grow faster, and the bed to be
sooner exhausted.
"Pratensibus optima fungis
Natura cst : aliis male creditur." — HORACE, Satira iv.
FUNGI. 359
Allied to the mushroom we have a fungus called the Champignon
(Marasmius arcades, fig. 835). This grows in rings, and is reputed
to be excellent eating. Berkeley says that it
is even finer in flavour than the mushroom.
Nevertheless a woman and two children who
partook of some at Plymouth last year were
seized fourteen hours afterwards with symp-
c ' • •, • i • FIG. 835. — Champignon.
toms of poisoning : vomiting and purging
occurred, followed by delirium in the mother and convulsions in the
children. The children, aged six and thirteen, died three days after-
wards, but the mother gradually recovered. Some of the fungi were
sent up to Mr. Worthington Smith, and that fungologist immediately
ate half-a-dozen, after having cooked them. Within an hour or two
the usual symptoms of poisoning came on, with burning of the throat,
irresistible depression of spirits and disordered stomach, which, fortunately
for him, gradually passed off without more serious consequences. For
years I have attempted to discover a test for the discrimination of
wholesome from poisonous fungi, but have utterly failed. One eminent
fungologist recommended me to apply the juice to my tongue, and if
found acrid to discard the fungus. If the fungus smells disagreeably, it
should be thrown aside. The fungipophagists speak of tons of valuable
food being wasted through neglect of fungi as articles of diet ; but con-
sidering that the poisonous have to be distinguished from the wholesome
among very numerous species, I am of opinion that we are not justified
in urging people to eat fungi indiscriminately, and would rather recom-
mend them to confine their choice to the mushroom, morel, and truffle.
Even these do not at all times agree with every person. Mr. Worthing-
ton Smith annually attends the Hereford Fungus Festival, where earnest
fungologists have a fungus banquet, and therefore he must be regarded
as a promoter of fungus-eating. Nevertheless this eminent fungologist,
with his family, were nearly poisoned by eating another fungus, the
Agaricus fcrtilis. The cooked specimen scarcely weighed half an
ounce, and yet Mr. Smith, his wife, and child suffered severely through
it. Mr. Smith states that the gastronomic qualities were excellent, so
MY GARDEN.
that the senses of smell and taste afforded no indication of its poisonous
qualities. The symptoms which the poison produced were swimming
of the head, nausea, vomiting, and prostration. Deep but uneasy
sleep followed, and perfect recovery did not take place for ten days
or a fortnight.
The Ergot of Rye, which is produced by another fungus called the
Claviceps purpurea, and which lives upon rye and other grasses, exercises
the most terrible effect on the human economy, by producing a disease
called ergotism, which has been fully described by Thompson in his
Lectures on Inflammation. A surgeon who is a frequent visitor at
my garden was continually advocating the use of fungi for food ; so
when preparing this chapter I took the opportunity of writing to him
to ask distinctly whether he had ever partaken of any ; and then I
had a confession that he had not, and I earnestly warned him not to
recommend persons ignorant of their nature to partake of them. I go
much further, and state that cheese infested with fungus is not desir-
able, and that food, whether animal or vegetal, with fungus upon it,
especially when cholera is prevalent, should never be eaten.
FIG. 836.— .Agaricus fascicularis.
In the Fern-house the Agaricus fascicularis (fig. 836) grows, and
in its decay gives rise to a very offensive odour, which fills the air
of the whole house. We had a stinking fungus some years since under
the lecture table of the London Institution, which gave us much
trouble to extirpate.
The Morel (Morchdla csculcnta, fig. 837) grows in my garden,
especially under large elm-trees. In some years we have had great
FUXGf.
FIG. 838. — Morchella crassipes.
abundance, and in most years we have some. It is highly esteemed
in France, but is not much employed in this country, though I have
occasionally seen them for sale at Covent Garden Market.
Mr. Worthington Smith first pointed out
that the Morchella crassipcs (fig. 838) was a
native of this country. This appears occa-
sionally in our garden.
I do not know whether the Truffle (Tuber
cestiinnii} is ever found in our neighbourhood.
The truffle is a fungus which grows under-
ground under the shade of certain kinds of
trees, preference being given to the beech-
tree. It likes a stratum of loam lying
over chalk. It is found by persons who
specially devote their time to this object.
There are but few truffle-hunters in this
country ; nevertheless I found one after some
trouble, and persuaded him to take me out for a day's hunt. He
had an active little dog, that was trained to find the truffle by scent;
a bit of cheese was given to it whenever it found one. To train the
dog at first, a truffle was placed in an old shoe, and its food de-
pended on its finding out where it was. When we went out the dog
was told to hunt. It immediately ran backwards and forwards, and
as soon as it smelt a truffle, scratched the earth with its fore-paws,
when its master raised the soil and took it out. In two or three
hours we found about three pounds in weight, and during the
whole day the dog never made one single false point. The French
truffles give off a more powerful odour than the English. At the
Palais Royal they fetch fifteen francs a pound, whereas our English
tubers are sold for half-a-crown. They have never been successfully
grown in gardens, but it is said that in France, by sowing the out-
side of truffles amongst evergreen oaks, they have appeared.
The Giant Puff-ball (Lycoperdon giganteum, fig. 839) grows in my
garden and in its immediate vicinity. It attains an enormous size
352
MY GARDEN.
at some places, but not at my garden, and is said to be edible when
young. I have been assured that, cut in slices and fried, it is
excellent, but I have never myself tried it.
FIG. 839.— Giant Puff-ball.
FIG. 841. Dacrymyces stillatus
and Spores, magnified.
FIG. 840. — Phallus imp'idicus
(Fruit x 700 diam.).
I am not certain whether the PJiallus impudicus (fig. 840) has ever
appeared in my garden, but I have seen it in quantities in the month
of August at the Kew pleasure-grounds. If cut in half, both parts
continue to grow in a damp atmosphere. When mature, it exhales
the most disturbingly offensive effluvium.
Some fungi dry up, and swell again when moistened by rain. This
is the case with the Dacrymyces stillatus (fig. 841). One day I passed
one of my bridges, when no fungus was apparent. A little rain fell,
when on crossing the bridge a few minutes afterwards the woodwork
was found to be covered with this species of fungus.
Many species of fungi grow upon the living leaves of plants, and
do much injury to them. In early spring the leaves of our violets
are affected with a fungus called the ^Ecidium violcz (fig. 842), which,
on examination, proves to consist of beautiful cups. At my garden
only a few leaves have been attacked by it, and I never knew
extensive damage to arise from it.
During the spring of 1871 an aecidium was noticed on one of our
Portugal quince trees, which had been some years in my garden.
It has been pronounced by Mr. Worthington Smith to be jEcidium
cydonia (fig. 843), a species new to this country, though known to
foreign fungologists.
FUNGI.
363
One form of fungus has attracted much attention of late years, as
it has been represented to be the cause of the potato disease. From
my own observations I believe that an aphis invariably punctures the
leaf before the attack of the fungus. It is possible that the punctures
FIG. 842. — ^Ecidium violae,
nat. size and magnified.
FIG. 843.— jEcidium cydoniae,
nat. size and magnified.
of the insect allow the zoospores of the fungus which have cilise to
penetrate into the interior structure of the leaf, whence the mycelium
spreads into every part of the texture of the plant. The fungus appears
as a white powder to the eye, but, when examined by a microscope,
the white patch proves to be a forest of little branching stems
surmounted by oval bodies. It was called by Berkeley Botrytis
infes taus, and now the genus is named Peronospora (fig. 844).
\
FIG. 844. — Potato Fungus,
magnified.
FIG. 846.— Polyactis,
magnified.
FIG. 843.— Lettuce Mould,
magnified.
Parsnips are attacked by another species of Peronospora, namely
P. nivea; onions by a third, called P. Schleideniana ; peas by P. vicice,
lettuces by P. gangliformis (fig. 845), cabbages by P. parasitica, and
spinach by P. effusa.
My Todece have sometimes been attacked by a microscopic fungus,
the Polyactis (fig. 846). It is a beautiful object under the microscope.
364
MY G A R DEN.
FIG. 847.-OidiumTuckeri,
nat. size and magnified.
The parts of the fronds which are attacked by this fungus die, and
the whole constitution of the plant is much injured.
At my garden, and over the entire neighbouring district, we have
had many attacks of the Oidium Tuckeri (fig. 847) upon the leaves of
the vine and the berries of the grape-
Berkeley, and other learned fungologists,
consider it to be a form of Erysiphe.
C\ 1 HkT/fl \\ ttf d3d?^\ ^e myce^um overruns the vine-leaves
\\ I lK\\\ I\ •/ ^5rF C? anc^ encirc^es ^e grape berries, the fibres
\ 1 ^Jf^ll 1 I fl interlacing over the surface. It flourishes
in the driest weather, and is not pro-
moted by wet, as some persons consider.
The whole vine, when infested with it
out of doors, appears as if dusted with white powder. Every good
gardener should daily inspect his vines when growing in houses ; for
if the fungus goes very far, nothing can save his crop of grapes.
My vines in the orchard-house are more attacked than those in the
turf-house and grapery. This fungus has done great damage in
Spain, Portugal, and Madeira ; the great vine at Hampton Court
has also suffered from it. When the berries are attacked at an early
stage of growth, they drop ; if later, they grow, but generally burst.
To destroy it the moment it appears, a little flour of sulphur should
be sprinkled over the hot-water pipes, and gentle heat maintained at
night. In very severe cases sulphur may be carefully burnt ; but too
much will destroy every leaf. I have also burnt with good effect the
bi-sulphide of carbon in a spirit-lamp ; it is, however, a powerful and
dangerous remedy, and requires great care not to use too much. To
destroy this fungus we now sometimes use the bi-sulphide of lime,
which is a liquid, and can be carried about the house, or some
may be placed in a saucer; it is very effective for the destruction
of all fungi.
Sulphur on the pipes is an infallible cure, but if applied too early
it is of no use, if too late the grapes will surely be spoiled; if an
excess be employed, the black grapes will be colourless and flavour-
FUNGI. 365
less ; and if a great excess is used, the leaves of the vines will
be damaged : therefore the application of sulphur requires judgment
and skill.
Mr. Gassiot pointed out many years ago that the cost of the flour
of sulphur in vineyards would be more than the fee simple of the
estate on which the vines were grown.
Unlike the fungus attacks of the potato, beet, turnips, or cabbages,
I have never seen the grape-vine fungus preceded by the puncture
of any aphis, and perhaps it lives more upon the exterior of the
plant than on its inner structure.
Closely allied to the grape-vine fungus, we have various species of
the genus Erysiphe, attacking the hops and other plants. E. pisi
or Martii (fig. 848). lives upon the leaves of peas, and is very trouble-
some to the gardener. It is only in the latter part of the year that
this pest is so destructive, and at my garden we suffer most severely
from the pea mildew in dry autumns, when the whole haulm looks
as though it were dusted over with fine chalk : when this occurs,
the cultivation of the pea is impossible, as there is no known remedy
for this disease.
FIG. 848.— Erysiphe Martii, FIG. 849.— Sphaerotheca pannosa,
with Spores magnified. with Spores magnified.
Although our rose-trees are generally the very picture of health,
yet they are occasionally stricken with blight, and the leaves look
as if they had been dusted over with flour. This species of fungus
is called the Sphcerotheca pannosa (fig. 849). It is supposed to be a
condition of O'idium leucoconium.
In the year 1871 the hybrid perpetual rose-trees were much affected
by a red fungus (Coleosporium pingjie, fig. 850). The leaves which
were attacked prematurely dropped. It was first observed at the end
365
MY GARDEN.
of May in Devonshire, and in my garden at the beginning of June ;
it increased throughout the summer, and in September the trees
were in a terrible state.
Our cabbages, cauliflowers, shepherd's purse, and other similar plants,
are sometimes attacked with spots of white rust (Cystopus Candidas,
fig. 851) on the leaves, arranged in a circular .manner. The mycelium
Zoospore.
FIG. 850. — Coleosporium p'ngue,
nat. size and magnified.
FIG. 851. — Cystopus Candidas,
nai. size and magnified.
creeps through the cellular tissue of the plants, and after a time gives
rise to zoospores or moving bodies to perpetuate the species. I
believe that in all these cases the plant is previously pierced by
an aphis.
Our sweet-williams are frequently attacked on the under-surface
of the leaf with' pale yellow spots, which is a fungus called the
FIG. £52.— Puccinia lychnidearum,
nat. size and magnified.
FIG. 853. — Helminthpsporium
pyrorum (x 700 diam.).
FIG. 854 — Siberian Cra
Fungus (x 700 c'.iam.).
Puccinia lychnidearum (fig. 852). This species also attacks other plants,
as the Lychnis.
The fruit-tr^es are subject to the attack of a black fungus, of
which we note particularly two species, one the Helminthosporinm
pyrorum (fig. 853), which attacks sometimes the Louise Bonne pear,
FUNGI. 367
and very frequently the Easter Beurre", causing the fruit to crack and
prematurely rot ; so that really it is a very important fungus to be
noticed by the pomologist. This fungus is described in Cooke's " Hand-
book of British Fungi " under the name of the Cladosporium dendriticum.
In my notice of the Siberian Crab, I mentioned how seriously the
trees were injured in some years, as in the season of 1871. This is
due to another fungus (fig. 854), allied to the H. pyrorum, but both
Mr. Broom and Mr. Worthington Smith incline to the opinion that
it is a species distinct from it. Mr. Smith writes to me that he
finds the spores of H. pyromm measure "0004" x '0008", whilst those
of the Siberian crab fungus measure -0004" x -oooi". The Rev. Mr.
Berkeley thought the two were identical. There appears to me to
be some littb uncertainty about these fungi, which, as they are very
important, deserve further attention. I particularly called the atten-
tion of the Scientific Committee of the Horticultural Society to the
destructive properties of the Siberian crab fungus.
The Uredo filicum (fig. 855) cccasionally attacks our ferns. It
seems to prefer the Cystopteris fragiiis when growing in our out-
door ferneries. It is of a yellow colour, lives on the fronds, and almost
gives them the appearance of golden ferns.
Fin 8 = 5.— Urejo filVum
(spore x 700 el'.anv).
FIG. 856 — Oi'Jium fructigemim,
nat. size and magnified.
Our plums and apples are attacked by a fungus called the Oidinin
fructigcnum (fig. 856), which rapidly causes the decay of the fruit.
Millions of spores are given off, and it is curious that every fruit is
not affected when exposed to the mischief; but as they are not, it
seems as though some antecedent condition of the fruit was requisite to
enable the fungus to grow. At the Fruit Committee of the Horticultural
Society, late-kept apples and pears when cut open are often permeated
368 MY GARDEN.
with fungus, which renders the taste most disagreeable, although the
outward appearance is good. For this reason I have directed my fruit-
room to be well cleaned at the end of September, and then to have
sulphur burnt in it, so as thoroughly to destroy all fungus mycelium
During this winter I have burned once a week a piece of sulphur the
size of a bean on a red-hot cinder. "So great is the success which
has attended this operation, that I strongly advise everyone who has a
fruit-room to use sulphureous fumes once or twice a week ; and in fact
whenever any article of food is liable to be covered with fungus,
sulphur should be burnt.
Berkeley states that the black specks which are common on
apples, and occasionally multiplied so much as to make them unsale-
able, are due to a fungus of the genus Spilocrea.
We do not escape the ravages of the Dry-rot, which is a fungus
(Merulius lacrymans, fig. 857). A moist, still atmosphere is most
favourable to its growth, and hence it is very destructive in cellars.
To prevent its ravages, wood is sometimes soaked in corrosive
sublimate or creosote, which is driven into the pores of the wood
FIG. 857.— Dry-rot, with Spores magnified. FIG. 858.— Sarcina ventriculi.
A current of air and free ventilation is an antidote to it, and I have
found a solution of the bi-sulphide of lime brushed over the wood a
good application. The vapour of burnt sulphur may also be used
with advantage. As the mycelium of this fungus spreads from place
to place, it is usual to remove all affected wood to prevent it from
spreading.
Various fungi live upon animal bodies as well as upon vegetal.
Of the various fungi which attack man, the Sarciua ventriculi
(fig. 858) may be mentioned as an example.
FUNGI.
3*9 '
But one fungus, called Saprolegnca (fig. 859), is a great pest to us
in the fish breeding season. It attacks the ova, and completely
encrusts it, destroying the young trout inside. Some naturalists consider
it to be an alga, others a fungus ; but whichever systematic writers
please to call it, it is very destructive to the ova of fish, and we find
it necessary to remove the affected eggs as soon as possible, to prevent
them all from being destroyed.
Fie. £60. — Ascomyces deformans
magnified.
FIG. 859 — Saprolegnea >n Ovum
nat. size, and x 20 diam.
Almond-trees and peach leaves are often curled and distorted.
According to my observations, this is due to an injury inflicted by an
aphis. The Rev. Mr. Berkeley, however, ascribes the result to a fungus,
vnich I have reproduced from his "Outlines of British Fungology,"
where he calls it the Ascomyces deformans or Ascosporium deformans
(fig. 860). Although every year this distortion of the leaves occurs, I
have not seen this fungus myself, and many other botanists accustomed
to search for minute fungi have not discovered it. I believe that the
aphis is constantly present, and that the fungus is but rarely so.
MY FERNERIES.
It is always refreshing to walk from the set flower-garden — where,
as Delille says, everything is symmetrical — to the wild garden, where
everything is natural.
" Soin done ces froids jardins, colifichet champe"tre,
Insipides reMuits, dont 1'insipide maitre
Vous vante, en s'admirant, ses arbres bien peignes ;
Ses petits salons verts, bien tondus, bien soigne*s ;
B \\
37o MY GARDEN.
Son plan bien symetrique, ou, jamais solitaire,
Chaque alle*e a sa soeur, chaque berceau son frere ;
Ses sentiers, ennuyes d'obeir au cordeau,
Son parterre brode, son maigre filet d'eau,
Ses buis tourne's en globe, en pyramide, en vase,
Et ses petits bergers bien guinde's sur leur base.
Laissez-le s'applaudir de son luxe mesquin ;
Je preTere un champ brut a son triste jardin." — Les Jardins.
For some years past Ferns and Ferneries have been much admired,
and have received great attention from amateur cultivators ; and with
good reason, as their graceful forms are most attractive, their mode of
growth interesting, and the colour of their fronds enchanting. Ferns
should be grown by themselves, and not mixed with other plants, for
several reasons, the principal being the necessity of a special situation
for them, and their dislike to be interfered with. However, the
Rhododendron, and especially the scarlet varieties of it, may be planted
along with ferns as a fitting accompaniment ; a climbing rose growing
wild, or a single-flowering scarlet thorn, may also be employed with
advantage. Before the fronds shoot out in spring I like to see the
ground, in large patches, covered with masses of primroses at one spot,
masses of snowdrops at another, masses of the wild oxalis at a third,
and at other places carpeted with the wild hyacinth. It is not usual
for me to mix these flowers together, as masses of colour, such as these
flowers afford in their native woods, give variety to the scenery of
the garden.
I have five outdoor ferneries and one indoor fernery. As a general
rule, I think it advisable that they should be arranged below the
level of the ground, and in a spot capable of drainage, as a uniform
moisture to the roots is thus ensured. In a natural state, wherever we
see ferns growing luxuriantly, there a bank of earth rises above them,
so that the roots derive continuous moisture from water percolating
through the soil. When this condition is reversed, and the ferns grow
on the top of a mound, they are apt to die from drought. Whenever
a stream of water can be introduced near the ferneries, it is desirable ;
ferns suffer no harm, but on the contrary derive great benefit, from
the roots being occasionally flooded for a few hours.
37 r
Experience has taught me that ferns like an abundance of light,
although it is necessary to screen them from cold winds. For this
reason I always contrive that a belt of trees, or of rootwork or rock-
work, shall surround my ferneries, and at the same time that the light
of the sky may fall upon them from above without their being directly
exposed to the fiery rays of the sun.
My Fern Glade is placed on one bank of the Backwater, and is
screened from the sun by a row of nut-bushes to the south. Here
many of the larger varieties of lady-ferns, interspersed with poly-
stichums, broad ferns, mountain ferns, and scolopendriums, are grown.
The royal fern flourishes near the river, but it is advisable to keep
the crowns well above the water, as their roots like damp soil rather
than wet. In the driest spots we grow polypody (Polypodium vulgare},
and in the wettest the marsh fern (Lastrcea TJielypteris).
The Fern Glen is a more elaborate artistic production, affording
many delightful little views and growing fine ferns. The whole is
well sunk into the ground, with little rivulets running through, affording
one or two boggy places. It is protected on the north by a bank,
with a hedge interspersed with trees, and on the south by trees. A
large willow-tree (Salix alba} on the south-west shades the sun's rays,
but still there is ample sky light overhead, which I find so desirable
for the growth of all ferns. In this glen a very large Osinnnda
regalist from Ireland, with twelve crowns, shows
itself in great beauty. A lady-fern of largest
size stands forth in a similar manner. The
oak, beech, and limestone polypodies, with the
P. hexagonoptcrum from North America, flourish.
The Ad tan turn cuneatum grows, but does not
stand the severest winters. The holly fern and
the rigid fern likewise grow here, with Athyrium
flexile, Cystopteris fragilis, Asplcnium tricho- *K" hf>I£r
manes y A. Adiantum-nigrum, A. I'iridc, A. Ruta-muraria, and A. septen-
trionale. The three English filmy ferns grow under glass, and also
one other, the Hymcnophyllum dcmissnm (fig. 86 1), from New Zealand.
B B 2
372 MY GARDEN.
The more delicate varieties of lady-ferns fringe the path, associated
with that delightful plant the sweet-scented gale; and here BlecJinum
boreale also abounds.
My Fern Glen has given me so much pleasure, that I strongly
advise everyone who has a waste piece of land near his garden to make
a fern glen. It will be a pastime in the winter evenings to design it ;
the construction of it — the transforming of the ideal conception of the
mind into a living reality — will afford much pleasure ; many a country
trip in the woods will be required to furnish it ; and when furnished
it will afford a spot for contemplation and enjoyment, in which the
designer may fancy that the robins, warblers, and nightingales, which
never fail to dwell there, are pouring forth their gratitude for the
construction of such a delightful retreat.
My Valley of Ferns is another spot in which I greatly delight. It
has a stream through the centre, and it is well surrounded by trees.
Here two or three varieties of male ferns and of polystichums attain
their highest perfection. The magnificent struthiopteris raises its
graceful and delicate fronds in the early spring, and shows its finely-
coloured foliage when dying down in the early autumn.
In the heat of summer the beauty of a gre'at mass of ferny foliage,
such as this place affords, cannot be surpassed. The success of this
valley of ferns appears to be due to the protection afforded from cold
winds by surrounding trees, whilst the plants themselves luxuriate
under light and sunshine, with free exposure to air without draught.
Near the Valley of Ferns we have a mass of artificial wall, on which
wall ferns flourish, especially the Adiantum Rnta-muraria, A. ger-
manicum, and A. septcntrionale ; and here Ceterach grows as well as I
have seen it in Italy. We have also a cave for cave ferns, but I have
failed at this spot in growing either the Irish, Tunbridge, Wilson's
filmy ferns, or the Todea pelbkcida. Near the cave, the rare Cystoptcris
montana grows on a bank.
There is a spot devoted to Exotic ferns. There the North American
ferns flourish, and live through the severest winters. The Lomaria
chilensis is a grand fern, which never loses its leaves except in the
FERNERIES. 373
severest winters, and, for a wild fern, is unusually attractive in appear-
ance. The Cystopteris bulbifcra grows in the most vigorous manner,
and, during the summer, most tropical ferns grow luxuriantly. The
Exotic Fernery is well protected against every cold wind, but the sun
is allowed to shine upon the ferns, which ripens the fronds and enables
them the better to withstand the winter frosts. In this fernery the
Adian tum pedatum is a strikingly beautiful object.
The fifth fernery, which is connected with the Valley of Ferns and
with the Exotic Fernery, I call the Forest of Ferns, for in this place
we arrange the tree ferns during the summer months. It is formed by
an irregular dilatation of the Central brook, in which stand numerous
sections of the trunks of large elm-trees, with holes in their centres,
into which the tree ferns are placed during the summer season. The
wood protects the roots of the plants from being over-dried, and
moreover it conceals the pot in which the plant is grown. This plan
of protecting the pot from the effects of the baking sun I learnt from
Dr. Hooker at Kew, who places most of his pot plants in the great
Palm-house in an outer earthen vessel for the same object. The
beauty of a frond of an alsophila, many feet long when grown out of
doors, has to be seen to be appreciated. The tree ferns are planted
out the last week in May.
In my five outdoor ferneries I have three distinct classes of ferns :
firstly, those which remain in the ground the entire year ; secondly,
those which are bedded out during the summer; thirdly, those
which are placed out in their pots, and taken back to the green-
houses in autumn. A very large proportion of all ferns which are
grown would be benefited by exposure to the pure air of heaven
during the months of June, July, August, and September.
At this moment I have nearly every British fern growing out of
doors, but I could never succeed in cultivating the Asplenium marinum
in that situation. This fern grows wild by the sea-coast as far north as
Aberdeen ; nevertheless I have never been able to grow one in any of my
outdoor ferneries. It is a remarkable fact that the Adiantum Capillus-
Veneris (fig. 862) has never proved to be hardy with me, although I
374
MY GARDEN.
have it now growing well in the Fern cave. I have seen it along the
Mediterranean coast beyond Mentone, but only in particular situations,
such as on a bed of sandstone, which is permeable by water : in this
situation the fronds were severely frosted in winter. I saw a plant
growing at the top of the Cathedral at Genoa, at a time when all the
fountains in the city were frozen. I noticed it, again, to be plentiful
at Pompeii and at Herculaneum, and also in the ruins of Nero's palace
at Rome. But nowhere was the maidenhair seen in such perfection as
in the ruined amphitheatre at Posilippo, near Naples. The underground
rooms and passages formerly used by the gladiators, and for the working
machinery of the amphitheatre (which is the most perfect of any now
FK;. 862. — Adiaiuum Capillus-Veneris.
FIG. 863.— Hymenophylhun Tunbridgense.
existing), form a series of caves, through the walls of which moisture
continually oozes, and here the maidenhair luxuriates in all its glory.
Some of the fronds were eighteen or more inches in length, and the
earthen walls were covered with sheets of this lovely fern, standing out
at right angles from the wall or hanging down from the roof. I must
confess that, when I beheld this great and glorious sight. I was more
impressed with it than with the thought that I was present on a spot
where dramas of blood were enacted centuries before. I speedily
collected a number of plants, to the no small disgust of \.\\z cicerone,
who could not do the amphitheatre at his usual gallop, and who
shrugged his shoulders at my utter want of taste in gathering useless
weeds. Some of these plants now grow at my garden in the Fern
cave. The adiantum is said to luxuriate in the orange groves in
Spain, in which country the fronds are used to make the syrup of
FERNERIES. 375
capillaire, a pleasant beverage drunk mixed with water in hot
weather.
We have three British Filmy ferns. The HymenopJiyllum Tun-
bridgense (fig. 863) I have found abundantly at Tunbridge Wells and
in Sussex, and have had other plants from the Dart Moor : this and the
H. Wilsoni, which is found in Devonshire and Scotland, both grow well
with me, but have to be planted in a particular manner. My plan is to
take the plant, place it on a bed of coarse sand with a little peat, and
sift fine dry sand between the fronds till it is completely embedded.
A watering-pot is then held five or six feet above the plant, so that
the water falls not only in quantity, but in considerable force, till
the whole of the sand is washed in. The plant is then covered with
a glass, and requires but little water. It grows out of doors perfectly
well under glass, but not unless so covered. I have had fine specimens,
which received the first prize both at the Botanic and Horticultural
Societies ; but the plants, after attaining a certain perfection, are
prone to die off.
The Irish Fern (Trichomanes spcciosum) has never succeeded with
me out of doors without glass, but grows when it has that protec-
tion. There are several varieties of it, but I
have one which was found by Mrs. Abel iu
Yorkshire, where it had not been seen for a
hundred years previously. I have figured one of
the fronds (fig. 864), which that lady herself
gathered, and which is interesting on that account,
but it gives a very poor idea of the beauty of
this species. This plant is growing vigorously
with me, and it also grows well in Mrs. Abel's
drawing-room. It has been found by Backhouse FlG • 864--Kill-irney Fcr»-
and others in Wales, and it possibly exists in other parts of England,
but its most remarkable habitat is Killarney, whence it is called
the Killarney Fern. Mr. Cooper Forster, who has a great love for
filmy ferns, has a magnificent plant, which grows over a flint stone
in his drawing-room in the centre of London. During the past year
376
MY GARDEN.
one of my finer specimens has been severely injured, and the gardener
states that it was attacked by rats, who used the fronds to construct
a nest. I wish the animals would have contented themselves with a
fern of less beauty. The sporangia of T. spcciosum is
very interesting and distinct (fig. 865).
Of the British Aspleniums, although I never
could grow the A. marinum out of doors, it flourishes
in the indoor fernery. Plants of the A. trichomanes,
FIG. 865.— Sporangia of .
T. spedosum. from Devonshire, grow luxuriantly in the Fern Glen.
A. viride grows in the same situation, between two blocks of sandstone.
In the Trossachs I met a collector with a splendid handful of A. viride,
the fronds of which far surpassed those of my plants, and which showed
the fern to be an exquisitely beautiful species. The A. Ruta-mnraria
grows at Highgate, Hampton Court, and all over the country, either
in mortar, or where a calcareous spring deposits its chalky matter
over the ground ; I have gathered it in such a
situation near Whitby. Although common, it is
a difficult fern to grow, and I am constantly
A^LT rvll+ obliged to renew it. The A . germanicum (fig. 866)
^X\ v^f //^ js very rare m England. Plants which were
brought for me from the Black Forest by Mrs.
Rennie have gro\vn admirably ; and I have also
the A. septentrionale, from plants which I have
brought from Edinburgh and from the St. Gothard Pass, on the
Italian side, but which I find rather difficult to grow. The A. Adian-
tiun-nigrum I have found on the Addington Hills, but not lately.
It is a beautiful fern, and requires a spot constantly damp, though
not wet. The A. lanccolatum has been brought to me, by Mr. Gray,
from the Channel Islands, but I believe that I have never yet grown
it successfully out of doors. The A. fontamim is a charming fern.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to grow without the protection of a
glass frame.
The Hart's-tongue Fern (Scolopendriuni vulgarc, fig. 867) I grow in
its natural state in such perfection that the fronds often reach two feet
FIG. 866.-Asplenium
germanicum.
FERXERIES.
377
in length. It is truly a magnificent evergreen fern, but attains its
greatest perfection when a little protected from cold and damp to its
fronds. I have hundreds of the common variety, and numerous
examples of the different varieties which have been raised by
horticulturists. In my judgment the common fern is the most useful
for a garden, and upon the whole the most beautiful.
The CeteracJi (fig. 868), an evergreen fern, grows as well upon my
wall as it does in Italy. In that country it lives on the Apennines
and on Mount Vesuvius, in situations where one would suppose that
any living plant would be literally baked. It is, however, rather difficult
to establish, and, until well rooted, requires slight perpetual moisture,
though not too much.
FIG. 868.— Ceterach officinarum.
FIG. 869. — Cystopteris montana.
FIG. 867. — Scolopendrium
vulgare.
The two Woodsias, W. ilvcnsis and W. alpina, are rare. The former
I grow in a sheltered cave between two pieces of sandstone, and the
latter amid pieces of sandstone in a little frame which is covered with
glass to protect it in winter.
All the English varieties of Cystopteris which are deciduous grow
with me. I • have found C. fragilis in Yorkshire, and it flourishes
with me. The variety called Dickeana, from the valley of the Dee,
is a good one, and so is C. rcgia, which requires a little shelter in
winter. The C. montana (fig. 869) is a magnificent fern, rarely grown ;
however, I have a fine plant, which is really beautiful when in per-
fection. It should be so situated that the roots are constantly moist,
but not wet.
378
MY GARDEN.
It is impossible to have any successful fernery without abundance of
the common Polypody (Poly podium vulgare, fig. 870). The number of
hamperfuls which I have required and received from various friends is
surprising. It is evergreen, and is employed to grow over our stumps of
trees, on dry banks, and in various other situations. Its green leaves and
golden-coloured spores render it invaluable for ferneries. There is also a
beautiful variety called the P. cambricum, which, however, does not grow
so freely as the common Polypody ; the Irish fern, another beautiful
variety ; and many others, which differ but little from the normal form.
The Beech Fern (P. PJiegopteris) requires a damp place, and is a fine
fern, though not equal to the Oak Fern (P. Dryopteris}, which is
one of the finest of all. Both grow abundantly in Yorkshire and
Scotland, and I have many in my Fern Glen. The Limestone Fern
(P. Robertiammi] has seeded in my orchard-house, and the plants give
fine fronds. The P. alpestre resembles a lady-fern, and the variety
P. flexile is a delicate fern, interesting to grow, but not at all showy.
FIG. 870. — Polypody (showing sori).
FIG. 871. —Parsley Fern.
The Parsley Fern (Cryptogramma crispa, fig. 871), a deciduous fern, is
not easy to establish, probably because it is not removed with sufficient
roots from its natural situations. I found a single fine plant on Don
Side, but no other, showing how occasionally a species will grow away
from its neighbours. It thrives best amongst the wall ferns, low down,
so as always to have some moisture.
In all the ferneries the Hard Fern (Blechnum spicant) is cultivated.
It grows in most woods, and generally sprouts up on the moors both in
Yorkshire and Scotland after the heather has been burnt. The fronds
FERNERIES.
379
are valuable for decoration in mid-winter. It grows and fructifies with
me in great luxuriance.
Although the common Bracken (Pteris aquilind) grows so profusely
that it is probably the most common fern in the world, yet it is difficult
to transplant. To my mind it is exquisitely
beautiful, and it lives in the back part of
our ferneries sheltered by trees. It has, how-
ever, a creeping rhizome, and will travel
rapidly where it likes. It is difficult to
establish, and equally difficult to eradicate,
which is a disadvantage. The stems when
cut have a singular appearance, and abound
in scalariform vessels (fig. 872).
In our outdoor ferneries for large ferns we cannot dispense with the
Polystichums, which are evergreen, and should be largely grown. The
P. aculeatuui and P. angulare are probably only varieties of the same
plant. The latter attains great size, and sends up fronds four feet high.
There are many varieties of this fern, some of which are extremely
beautiful. The variety of P. angulare proliferum has bulbils on the
axils.
FIG. 872. — Scalariform vessels
on Bracken.
FIG. 873. — Polystichum angulare.
FlG. 874. -Holly Fern.
In early spring it is interesting to observe the polystichums unfold
their fronds ; for whilst the lastraeas and many other ferns unfold their
fronds from within, those of the polystichums are unfolded from without.
The young frond of the polystichum (fig. 873) is a very beautiful
object.
The Holly Fern (P. Lonchitis, fig. 874) is an evergreen fern of
MY GARDEN.
great beauty. It is not easy to cultivate, though I have seen it in great
perfection at the Rev. W. Macpherson's manse in Don Side. It is
evergreen, and is a highly beautiful object when successfully grown.
Like the polystichums, the different species of
Lastraea, or Nephodiums, are also indispensable.
The Lastrcea Filix-mas (fig. 875) attains a large size
and a bold form, and, from its abundance, is well
adapted to make the foundation of a fernery, for
which purpose we use it. We grow several varieties,
of which the crested and small kinds are the most
FIG. 875.— L. Fiiix-mas. important.
The Mountain Fern (Lastrcea moutand], although it occurs in large
patches in Scotland, does not grow so freely in artificial cultivation. Its
fronds die down early in autumn. The Yorkshire Hard Fern (Lastrcea
rigidd] can only be obtained in small quantities, and therefore it is
adapted for single specimens and not for a great show. The same
scarceness of the Lastrcea cristata, or Norfolk Fern, forbids it to be
extensively used, although it is a beautiful fern. Another one, the
Lastrcea ceimila, is also not sufficiently common to be used for other
purposes than as specimens ; but the L. dilatata, or Broad Fern, can be
obtained in any quantity, and is remark-
able for the manner in which the fronds are
curved, and the picturesque effect which it
presents in cultivation. Of this fern there
are many varieties, several of which we
grow.
The Marsh Fern (Lastrcea Thelypteris, fig.
876) is of great beauty, and grows admirably
with me in wet places. The form of its
long fronds is elegant, and its colour en-
chanting. I grow it largely, and certainly
F,c. 876. -Marsh Fern. ^ deserves t<) be grQwn extensively. Its
rhizomes grow to the very edge of the water without injury to the
plant.
FERNERIES.
Of all ferns perhaps the Lady Fern (Athyrinm Filix-fczmina, fig. 877)
is one which we grow for effect in the greatest profusion : not only
the large white and the red stalked varieties, but numerous kinds
and seedlings, are also cultivated in quantity. Lady-ferns like plenty
of moisture and abundance of
light, and then they are truly
beautiful, especially in seasons
when late frosts do not impair
the foliage. Frequently spots
attributed by gardeners to the
rays of the sun arise from the
action of cold, and I have
known the hottest summers to
FIG. 877. — Athyrium Filix-foemina.
produce the greenest fronds.
Many of the varieties of lady-ferns so far deviate from the natural
type as hardly to be recognizable, and I point out to my visitors that
they are similar to the eccentric dresses which some ladies adopt
when they patronize a fancy ball, being not one whit less uncouth
and quite as extravagant.
One of the most important ornaments in our outdoor fernery is the
Osmnnda regalis : I have a splendid specimen from Ireland, another good
one from Brentwood in Essex, and others from Devonshire. This fern
requires plenty of moisture, but does not like its crown to
be actually in the water ; it requires also plenty of light.
Its spores do not appear to ripen with me out of
doors, though in the fern-house young plants readily
grow from the spores. I have figured the sporangia
(fig. 878). A variety called the O. regalis cristata is a FIG. 87s. -Sporangia
of O. regalis.
splendid greenhouse fern, rivalling its parent.
There are two other interesting little species of ferns, which we
appear to have thoroughly acclimatized, the common Moon Wort
(Botrychium Lunaria, fig. 879) and the Adder's Tongue (Ophioglossum
vulgatum, fig. 880). Both are deciduous and pretty, but much too
small to produce any striking effect.
GAKDEX.
There are not a great number of Foreign ferns which may be
thoroughly depended upon to live out of doors during the winter.
There are three Osmundas. The O. gracilis (fig. 88 1), which, grown out of
FIG. 880. — Adder's Tongue.
FIG. 879. — Moon Wort.
FIG. 881. — Osiminda gracilis.
doors in full sunshine, looks like a ridiculous, diminutive, stiff plant of the
O. regalis, is drooping and more elegant when grown in a greenhouse.
The O. cinnamomea and the O. intermpta are also more beautiful when
grown in a greenhouse than when planted out of doors. The O. inter-
rupta (fig. 882) is one of the most beautiful of all ferns when well
grown. The fertile fronds are green for the upper few inches, then
FIG. 882. — O. interrupta.
Fro. 883. — Cystopteris hulbifera.
the fructification appears, and, lastly, the remainder of the frond is
green. The outer, or non-fertile fronds, form a series of curved lines
FERNERIES. 383
surrounding the fertile. I have occasionally observed fronds of the
O. regalis partaking somewhat of a similar character.
The Cystoptcris bulbifera (fig. 883) is thoroughly acclimatized with
me. It multiplies by division, by spores, and by little bulbils formed in
the axils of the leaves. It is a fern which should be grown in quantity.
Of the Polypodiums, the P. hexagonopterum, a good companion
plant to the oak and beech fern, is well acclimatized. The P. Braunii
is perfectly hardy.
The Pteris scaberula (fig. 884) lives in my outdoor exotic fernery,
but has not flourished. It grows vigorously when planted out for the
summer, and is most elegant. I exhibited a plant treated in this way
at one of the meetings of the Horticultural Society, which delighted the
lovers of ferns, and which received the special certificate of the Society.
The common Pitris serrulata has survived many years of intense
frost, and the P. rotimdifofia is far more beautiful out of doors
than when grown in confinement, but yet will not stand the severest
winters.
Fi<;. 884.— Pteris scaberula. FIG. 885.— Lastraea Standishii.
Of foreign Lastraeas or Nephrodiums, L. curvata, L. Opaca or
L. varia, L. Sieboldii, and L. patens, all stand the severest winters; and
of these L. curvata is particularly vigorous. There is a very fine plant
from Japan, L. Standishii (fig. 885), which will live out of doors, but
perhaps does better in a cold greenhouse.
The two Woodwardias, W. orientalis and W. radicans, have lived
with me many years, nevertheless the fronds have every winter been
cut down by frost. I do not doubt that in Devonshire and Cornwall
384
MY GARDEN.
they would do perfectly well. The W. radicans is a truly noble fern,
which forms other little ferns at the end of its fronds.
The Doodia aspera (fig. 908) thrives, and the leaves are handsomer
than when it is grown in the indoor fernery, but severe frost kills it.
One or two other small species of doodia flourish well.
The Loinaria alpina, L. alpina major, and L. crinita grow in the
most satisfactory manner, and the L. cJiilensis (fig. 886) is one of the
glories of the garden ; its grand stiff leaves form a striking contrast
with the other ferns, and it is an important addition to our ferneries. In
the severest winters, as in that of 1870, its fronds were destroyed; but
ordinarily they remain the whole year. When the fronds are destroyed
in winter, fresh ones appear in spring.
FIG. 886. — Lomaria chilensis
FIG. 887. — Struthiopteris germanica.
One of the grandest of all hardy ferns is the Struthiopteris.
Two species are described by botanical writers, the 6". germanica
(fig. 887) and the S. pennsylvanica. I cannot, however, distinguish one
from the other, and probably both supposed different species are really
the same plant. The Struthiopteris is one of the first ferns to come out
in spring, and one of the first to decay in autumn. Its general
form is that of a shuttlecock, from the centre of which the fertile
fronds appear. Notwithstanding this habit of growth, it has a
creeping rhizome, whereby a little forest is produced, of great beauty.
This fern grows three feet high, and must be regarded as one of the
FERNERIES. 385
great attractions of an outdoor fernery. I have many plants, and
many should always be grown.
Of all the acclimatized ferns, the Adiantums are remarkable for
their beauty. I have already mentioned that the A. Capillus-Veneris
grows with some difficulty. I find that A. formosum stands the
hardest frosts, but throws up fronds only two or three inches high.
However, the North American variety, the A. pedatum, is a plant
of surpassing beauty ; it throws up fronds about a foot high, and
then forms a flat top. Out of doors it is not only one of the most
beautiful of adiantums, but also one of the most lovely of all ferns.
I have many specimens, and no fernery can be perfect without several
of this splendid fern. It is not very commonly cultivated.
The Athyrium or Asplenium goldianurn, var. pictum, is a very beau-
tiful fern, but not of sufficient size to be of great importance ; never-
theless single specimens are charming. The N othocJilana Maranta is
another excellent fern, which, though not very large, survives the
hardest winters.
The Onychium sensibile, the fronds of which turn brown upon the
slightest touch, or upon exposure to the rays of the sun, lives as well
in our climate as the common English ferns. We grow plants of
the Onychium japonicum, which do not thrive so well out of doors as
some persons assert.
The Davallia Novce Zelandia lives through most winters, and the
beautiful Todea pellucida through some ; but both T. pellucida and
T. superba, and the fine filmy fern HymenopJiyllum demissum, live out
of doors with me if simply covered with a pane of glass.
The above list comprises nearly all the exotic ferns which can
be safely depended upon, and the acclimatization of foreign ferns
does not offer much prospect of large success.
There are numerous ferns which we plant out for the summer and
take back to our houses, like bedding plants, in autumn. This plan
admirably suits many tree ferns. In my forest of ferns I plant out
Cyathea medullaris, which forms superb fronds many feet long, and
which is much improved by this treatment.
c c
386 MY GARDEN.
The Woodwardias rejoice in their summer removal from the close
house to the pure air of heaven, and even the tropical Hypolcpis
repens grows with great vigour in the summer months. The Platy cerium
alcicorne, which is apt when in the house to be attacked by cocci,
remains perfectly healthy in the Forest of Ferns ; and Ptcris trcmula,
Nephrodium molle, Pteris vesper tilionis, and Todea africana, are much
improved by their summer visit to the natural atmosphere, it is
probable that most of the exotic ferns we cultivate would be benefited
by being out from the 1st of June till the 1st of October, and it is
my intention to try every species in that position as I obtain plants.
Even the Indian fern Pteris argyrcea would do well out of doors during
that period.
At my garden there is only one indoor fernery ; but this, as I have
already explained, has every gradation of heat, from the temperature
of the equator to the lowest in which ferns can grow. By this arrange-
ment we are enabled to have specimens of all the more important
species of ferns in the world, so arranged that they can be seen at a
glance (see plate 19). Experience, however, shows that every fern which
can live permanently out of doors, or which can be placed out during
the summer, flourishes better than when it grows under the artificial
conditions and atmosphere of a glass-house. In this glass-house some
ferns are grown in peat amongst blocks of sandstone, but the natural
temperature of the earth and the rivulet which flows through the
house is somewhat too low for vigorous growth. These conditions
lessen my power to grow ferns planted in the house itself ; and those
who construct fern-houses should remember that exotic ferns require
warm soil. Some ferns are grown in pots and in earthen pans, but
the pots are so arranged as to make but little show, and the first
impression upon a glance inside the house is that the whole fernery is
but a fragment of wild natural scenery covered with glass.
Many ferns are grown in circular wire-baskets and suspended from
the roof, or in baskets so shaped that they may hang against pillars
or tli£ sides of the house.
The earth usually employed for the culture of our ferns in pots
FERNERIES. 387
is peat mixed with coarse sand. The Sheppey sand, although in
our immediate district, is too fine for this purpose, and we employ
that which comes from the Lower Green-sand at Reigate, or which
may be obtained at Sandy in Bedfordshire, and which belongs to an
epoch of the earth's history antecedent to the formation of the chalk
hills (see Geology). Probably feldspar grit from the cross courses of
Devonshire would be even preferable, as this material contains potash
in union with silex.
I have never ventured directly to give potash or any earthy salts
to our ferns. Though potash is contained in the ashes of ferns, the
exact proportion in each species is not known.
My indoor fernery, although so simply constructed, is really
a lovely spot, and most of those who enter it for the first time are
startled at the general effect. The red tiles of the paths contrast with
the green foliage on either side, and ferns which I have carried to
my garden in my pocket have now grown so large that we sit under
their shade as though they were trees..
In this fernery nearly every rafter has a climbing plant, and one
or another of these is in blossom during the entire year. No Ovidian
idea of eternal spring can surpass the reality of this my fern-house.
Even when the country outside is arrayed with new leaves and covered
with flowers, this house would be pronounced beautiful ; but when the
perfection of this eternal spring contrasts with the snow outside and with
the dull chills of wintry blasts, the transition from winter to summer, on
passing the threshold of this fernery, is most bewildering and enchanting.
What horticulturist, therefore, would ever be without a fernery ? In
former years I have had every English fern growing at Finsbury
Circus, in the centre of London ; therefore it must not be imagined
that it is necessary to go into the country for the purpose of having
an indoor fernery with all its concomitant graceful forms,
In indoor ferneries it is necessary to have at all times a moister
atmosphere than that which exists in orchard-houses, or greenhouses.
I never grow ferns without open tanks of water, and troughs are placed
on the hot-water pipes. In my fernery I have also a miniature river
C C 2
388 MY GARDEN.
running through the house and expanding into a little lake, so that
an ample supply of aqueous vapour is supplied to the atmosphere.
Although a moist atmosphere is requisite for the growth of ferns,
a constantly wet atmosphere is not to be commended, for after ferns
have made their growth they are improved by having more air, more
light, and a drier air to ripen the fronds. It is desirable to give ferns a
thorough rest in November and December, when the weather is dark,
by lowering the temperature, by diminishing the aqueous vapour in
the atmosphere, and by lessening the supply of water to the roots.
The ferns which we cultivate in our ferneries, taking them in the
order described in the valuable manual of Sir W. J. Hooker and
Mr. Baker, illustrate many species and a considerable number of
genera. Perhaps this valuable and learned contribution to botanical
science would be more practically convenient, were the genera further
subdivided.
We have grown Gleichenias, but the atmosphere of my house has
proved too close for them, as they require plenty of light and air.
They are very elegant ferns, and attain a large size. We have also
grown the G. Spelunccc, the G. microphylla, and the G. flabellata. They
are difficult to propagate, as they do not bear interference with the
root, and are consequently rather expensive to purchase.
The great family of Polypodiaceae supplies us with many species.
Of the Cyatheas, we have had the C. arborea, a noble tree fern from
Jamaica, but my fernery proved too cold, and it died. Wonderful
specimens of this fern exist at Kew. The next beautiful tree fern,
the C. dealbata from New Zealand, is almost hardy, and delights to
be out of doors in summer. It is an exquisite fern, and is the most
desirable of all the tree ferns, as the silvery colour on the under side
of the fronds is particularly beautiful. The finest specimen I have
seen is at Backhouse's, in York, but other large plants are occasionally
imported. The C. medullaris (fig. 888) is another noble fern, from
the Pacific Islands, with fronds from ten to fifteen feet long. Seedlings
of this fern attain a large size, and, as I have before mentioned, we
can sit under one plant of this species which was taken to the garden
FERNERIES.
389
a few years ago in my pocket. The Cyathea princeps, from Mexico,
is a lovely fern, but it has to be grown in the warmer part of the house.
The C. ScJiiedci (fig. 889) is a very graceful fern ; the under surface
FIG. 888.- Cyathea medullaris.
FIG. 889.— C. Schiedei.
of the fronds is of a lovely silvery lustre: it is a desirable acquisition.
The genus Alsophila yields us two species, the A. australis (fig. 890)
and A. capense, both of which do well in the outdoor ferneries in
summer time. The Onoclea sensibilis and Struthiopteris germanica
(fig. 887) we have excluded from the house altogether, as they grow
so much better out of doors.
The Dicksonia antarctica is a noble tree fern, nearly but not quite
hardy. It grows rapidly from spores, and in a few years makes a
FIG. 890. — Alsophila australis.
FIG. 891. — Dicksonia squarrosa.
good trunk. Dr. Hooker pointed out to me the advisability of not
removing the dead fronds, but of allowing them to fall pendant over
the trunk, which gives a peculiar and picturesque appearance to the
•whole plant. We grow also plants of the D. squarrosa (fig. 891).
$ome species of Dicksonias are called by Kaulf Cibotium, and of
390
MY GARDEN.
these we grow D. Barometz (fig. 892), from Assam, which is also
exiled the Tartarian Lamb ; this forms fine fronds, and is a splendid
fern. A fraud was practised by taking
the caudex of this fern and cutting
away all the fronds but four, which
were also cut a short distance from
their point of junction with the caudex.
When this was turned up, its shape re-
sembled that of a lamb. It was then
reported to be a half vegetal and a half
Flo. 892.— Dicksonia Earometz,
FIG. 893. — Tartarian Lamb.
animal production, which ate grass. It is well pictured in Evelyn's
"Sylva," and specimens of the "lamb" exist in the British Museum,
from one of which my illustration (fig. 893) is taken. We have also
D. fibrosa, which is considered to be a variety of D. antarctica.
We have attempted the culture of some of the Filmy ferns, but only
to a moderate extent, from the great difficulty of procuring specimens.
They require for their culture shade from the sun, ample light, arid
a moist atmosphere, and they will not bear any change in the hygro-
metric state of the atmosphere. The temperature they require depends
on the country from which they come, but all which require artificial
heat ought to be covered with glass to ensure the equal hygrometric
state of the air. The Hymenophyllum demissum (fig. 86 1), from New
Zealand, is perhaps the most readily cultivated, especially if covered
with a bell-glass. We have also the H.javanicum under the names of
H. flexuosum and H. crispatum ; H. ciliatum from tropical America ;
and also H. asplenioides, likewise from tropical America.
We grow two English Hymcnophyllums, //. Tunbridgcnsc (fig. 863)
FERNERIES.
and H. IVilsoni, in the fernery under the protection of glass. Mr.
Backhouse, of York, has one of the finest collections of filmy ferns,
and is most successful in their culture ; his plants are so fine that
they are worth a journey to York to see. He grows many of them
in a cave lighted from the top with glass. At Kew there is a splendid
collection ; and the Rev. A. Johnson and Mr. Cooper Forster are also
cultivators of these truly fairy-like beauties.
FIG. 895. — T. reniforme.
FIG. 894. — Trichomanes
Luschnaiianum.
FiG. 896.— Hypolepis repens.
Like the Hymenophyllum in the transparent character of the mem-
brane of the leaf, and requiring similar cultivation, we grow the Tri-
cliomanes speciosum (fig. 864), or Irish Bristle Fern, in the glass fernery.
It has been recently found in Wales, but I am assured that the spot
has been rifled. I have likewise a plant of the T. Luschnatiamun
(fig. 894), from the Organ mountains of Brazil, given to me by Mr.
Backhouse, who grows this fern, climbing on earthen tubes, in the
highest perfection. This beautiful fern is considered by Dr. Hooker
to be a variety of T. radicans. I also grow the T. pyxidiferum, from
South America. • We have tried unsuccessfully the beautiful T. reni-
forme (fig. 895), from New Zealand, probably from not having a suffi-
ciently strong plant with which to commence. These filmy ferns are
expensive to purchase and very difficult to grow; nevertheless their
exquisite beauty, which surpasses that of all other ferns, renders
392
MY G'ARDEN.
them most desirable plants to cultivate, and a horticulturist might
make himself very happy with a collection of these alone.
The genus Hypolepis affords us the grand H. repens (fig. 896), from
tropical America. It grows very freely, and the spores come up all over
the house, and therefore have to be exterminated, or in a short time we
should have a hypolepis-house instead of a general fernery. We have
also H. tcnuifolium, from Java, and -H. distans, from New Zealand.
We have many Cheilanthes. They like air and light. We grow
C. lanuginosa, from Illinois ; the C. lendigera, from Mexico, and the
C. argentea, from Japan ; C, spectabilis ; and C. elegans (fig. 897),
which is a beautiful fern. Our specimens of Onychiinn japonicum
grow more satisfactorily in a greenhouse, or in the outdoor ferneries,
FIG. 897. — Cheilanthes elegans.
FIG. 898. — Platyloma flexuosa.
as also do those of the Parsley Fern (Cryptogramma crispa). The
PelUea rotundifolia, called by Smith the Platyloma rotimdifolia, forms
more healthy fronds out of doors, but does not appear to stand
the severest winters. The Pelfoa or Platyloma flexuosa (fig. 898) has
fronds of a very peculiar green, and is a beautiful species to hang in a
basket, with its fronds drooping down.
The genus Pteris contains a large number of species, from all parts
of the world, of which we have many examples. Pteris cretica, from
Italy, survives many winters in this climate, as also does that pretty
FERNERIES.
393
but common fern from China, P. serrulata, which stands the winter at
my garden. Although one of the commonest of all ferns, and so easily
multiplied by spores, it is beautiful, and is useful for decoration, or to
fill up gaps. There are crested varieties of this species, which are
pretty. P. trcmula is a large fern from Australia, which thrives well
out of doors in summer, and is easily propagated. P. aquilina, which
grows all over the world, will live in the fernery as well as outside ;
if it were scarce, it would be esteemed a beautiful fern. The P. scabe-
rnla, from New Zealand, is a lovely one when finely grown ; it likes
to be out of doors during the summer.
The P. argyraa, with a band of white over the frond, and P. tricolor
(fig. 899) — varieties, according to Hooker, of P. quadriaurila — are
very desirable and beautiful, and are easily
grown. The P. vespcrtilionis, also called
P. incisa or Litobrochia vcspcrtilionis, is
a very elegant fern, which attains a large
size, and will flourish out of doors during
the summer. P. longifolia is a distinct,
fine fern, with fronds three feet long, P.
uinbrosa is a magnificent fern from Austra-
lia. The colour of the fronds is fine, and
it is grand in appearance. The fertile fronds FIG. 899— Piens tricolor.
are four feet high, and are more slender than the barren, which
are about two feet high. The P. pahnata, or Doryoptcris nobilis,
from tropical America, is a fine bold -fern, but is apt to die off if
it does not have careful treatment. The P. sagittifolia, from Rio
Janeiro, is another curious one.
The Davallias are a beautiful genus of ferns, of which we grow
many species. Of these D. canaricnsis is said to have been cultivated
for upwards of a century and a half. It will not bear our winters out
of doors, but likes plenty of light and air, and even some sun. The
D. Novce Zelandia is another beautiful species, which barely lives out
of doors, but delights in air and full exposure in the summer months.
D. pyxidata is a stiff- fronded species, from Australia. Some of the
394
MY GARDEN.
Davallias — such as D. bullata (fig. 900), D. dissecta, D. Lindlcyi, D,
pentaphylla, P. tenuifolia — are exquisite when planted in baskets and
suspended from the roof. D. alpina is also a small, interesting species.
No Cystopteris is grown in the fern-house, although four species are
grown in the open-air ferneries : namely, C. fragilis, an English species ;
C. alpina, from Scotland ; C. bulbifera (fig. 883), from North America ;
and C. montana (fig. 869), from Scotland.
One Lindaea is grown with us, the L. cultrata, from the north of
India.
The genus Adiantum has numerous species, some of which are
among the loveliest ornaments of the fern-house. Many species adorn
my fernery. A. reniforme (fig. 901), from Madeira, is a little difficult
to grow ; it probably requires more air and less moisture : its kidney-
shaped leaves are remarkable. A. trapezifonne, from tropical America,
.,
Fi<;. 901. — Adiantum reniforme
FIG. 903. — Davallia bullata.
has fine large fronds ; it requires the warmest end of the house : this is
a fine fern, and cannot be -dispensed with. A. cultratum is a desirable
variety: when the new fronds unfold, the edges are red. A. pentadac-
tyloii is another desirable variety of this fern. A. intermedium, from
tropical America, is also grown. A . formosu m, from Australia and New
Zealand, is a bold-looking fern, and looks well as a large plant ; it is a
fine and common fern for a greenhouse. A. mac r op ky I him, from Mexico,
has its fronds, when in the growing state, beautifully coloured with red.
A. Capillus-Veneris, although distributed all over the world, must never
be excluded from a fernery. A. continuum is another rather common
FERNERIES.
fern, of great beauty, and should always be grown. A. tencrum is
remarkable in giving to us a garden variety, which is perhaps the most
beautiful of all ferns, called A. Farleyensc (fig. 902). Spores of
A. Farleyensc do not reproduce the same plant,
and it does not thrive well when divided. Mr.
Smith, the Curator of Kew, recommended me
to grow it in strong loam, but I have only one
small plant, the merest shadow of the glorious
specimens which exist at Kew and at Messrs.
Veitch's nursery.
The A. ciincatum (fig. 903) is a fern which
we grow, and which is much used for table
decoration. It is a general favourite, and,
though a native of Brazil, with me is as hardy
as the A. Capillus-Veneris (fig. 862), if not
more so. The A. fulvum (fig. 904), as it unfolds its young fronds,
which are of a scarlet colour, is interesting, and it is easily propagated
from spores. A. Feei is an interesting variety, and is a very distinct
form of this genus ; we have a large plant of this species, which thrives
FIG. 902. — Adiantum Furley
FIG. 903. — A. cuneati
FIG. 904. — A. fulvum.
exceedingly well with me. The A. fledatzim does not thrive so well in
the house as in the outdoor alpineries, where it is a splendid fern. A.
tinctum is delicate and beautiful in spring. A. Incidnin, from the West
India Islands, is a desirable one, having fine fronds from nine to fifteen
inches long. A. curvatnm is also a fine fern, which does well in my
fernery, but does not grow readily in all situations.
39^
MY GARDEN.
Some of the Lomarias grow outside, and some in the indoor fernery.
The L. gibba (fig. 905) is a beautiful miniature tree fern, highly
ornamental, but subject to thrip. It is a native of New Caledonia,
therefore only requires moderate heat, and should be grown in every
fernery. L. attennata is a handsome fern; its rhizome may be made to
take the form of a tree fern, like L. gibba. L. Banksii, from New
Fiu. 905. — jLjomaria gioba. FIG. 906. — Blechnum orien'ale.
Zealand, is a pretty miniature fern. L. Patersoni is a remarkable fern,
the fertile fronds of which are thin, and the barren ones broader.
L. gigantca is a distinct species, from America. The L. spicant, L.
minor, and L. alpina are grown out of doors.
The Blechnums are noble ferns, mostly of considerable size. B.
brasiliense, also called B. corcovadense, easily grows from spores, and is
a fine fern. B. occidental, from America, and B. orientate (fig. 906),
FIG. 907. — Woodwartlia radicans.
FIG. 908. — Doodia aspera.
from Australia, are noble ferns, and easily grown. B. nitidnm, var.
contraction, is a fine fern. All the Blechnums have a red tint in their
young fronds.
Another genus, the Woodwardia, is distinguished by two splendid
species, Woodwardia radicans (fig. 907), from Madeira, which form;
FERNERIES. 397
little plants on the fronds, and W. orientalis, from Japan, which has
also numerous little plants on the fronds. Both live with me out of
doors, but the best plan is to place them out in summer only. The
W. radicans forms splendid fronds, many feet in length.
We have the Doodia aspera (fig. 908), from Australia, which grows
like a small tree fern in the outdoor fernery, indoor fernery, and in
Ward's cases in my dinmg-room. The new fronds have a pink tinge,
and among hard-leaved ferns this variety is one of the more graceful.
The D. caudata, from Australia, is not important ; it will live both in
the glass fernery and in the outdoor ferneries.
No less than 280 species of Aspleniums are described by systematic
writers; of these* we have a selection which thrive out of doors, and
a further selection for the indoor fernery. The English species —
A. Adiantum-nigruni, A. trichomanes, A. viride, A. fontanum, A. Ruta-
muraria, A. scptcntrionale, A. germanicum — grow out of doors, but not
A. marinum, which, curiously enough, does not object to a stove heat,
nor A. fontanum, nor A. lanceolatum, which like a greenhouse tempe-
rature. The A. Filix-fcemina (fig. 877), with its century of varieties,
ornaments our banks, glens, and glades, but in the house is apt to
get thrip. The A. fragrans, a variety of A. australasicum, is rather
difficult to grow. The A. flabellifolium, from Australia, is a charming
species, having little plants at the ends of its long fronds ; I have
had it for many successive years in my dining-room.
A. viviparum looks like parsley, and has numerous
young plants at the tip of the leaves. One of the
species has very curious scales, which are truly
lovely microscopic objects, one of which Mr. Smith
has figured from a plant growing in my drawing-
room (fig. 909). The little scales are shown on
the leaf, and also magnified twenty times. A. (Scales x 20 diam.)
canariense, a variety of A. prcemorsum, is a nice fern. We have A.
nitidum ; and A. laccratum is of an elegant form. A. caudatnm, from
Australia, is a very beautiful fern, with fronds about eighteen inches
long ; it grows well when planted in the house. A. Bclangcri is a
FIG: 909.— Asplenium, with
characteristic scales.
398 MY GARDEN.
handsome fern from the Malay Archipelago. A. macilentum, a variety
of A. auritnm, is prettily veined. A. attcmiatum is a fine stiff fern from
Queensland, and forms a handsome plant ; whilst A. fonnosum is a
very graceful one. So is also A. flabcllatum, a variety of A. rhizo-
phorum, from tropical America.
The fronds of A. macrophyllum are very dissimilar from those of any
species hitherto described ; the plant hardly -looks like a fern, and is
valuable on account of that dissimilarity, for the sake of contrast.
A. falcatum is a graceful fern from Japan, which does better out of
doors than in the house. A. dispersum is a very desirable basket fern,
from tropical America, with fronds not exceeding nine inches in
length.
A. Serra is a firm, erect, and fine species from tropical America. A.
nidus, var. australasicum, or Bird's-nest Fern (fig. 910), is a fine species,
with large fleshy fronds arranged round a centre ; it may be placed out
in summer. A. bulbiferum is a common fern, from New Zealand, which
likes outdoor treatment in summer.
FIG. 9 10. -Bird's-nest Fern. FIG. 911.— Ac inioptcris radiata.
The Scale Fern, A. Ceterach — or, as it is commonly called, Ceterach
officinarum (fig. 868)— does not grow well in the house, but does per-
fectly well in the open ferneries, as has been already described.
There is a remarkable species, and the only one of a genus called
Actiniopteris, which exactly resembles a miniature palm-tree ; this is
the Actiniopteris radiata (fig. 91 1), a native of India. I have a single
plant, and have been told that it likes plenty of light, and drought
at certain seasons of the year, when it is at rest.
FERNERIES.
399
The Scolopendrium of our English woods (fig. 867), with its curious
sports, varieties, and deformities, is a magnificent fern, which thrives
better out of doors than in the outdoor fernery. Another species,
S. rhizophylliim — or, as it is sometimes called, the Camptosorus rhizo-
pliyllus, or Walking Leaf — is an in-
teresting fern from British America,
which I have not yet tried out of
doors.
The indoor fernery contains a
fine fern called the Didymochlcena
lunulata (fig. 912) from tropical
America, which has metallic-looking FlG. 9I2.-Did^ochLna lunulata.
fronds. The plant has the curious property, when not in health, of
dropping its pinnules, which gives it a woe-begone look.
The genus Aspidium yields us the noble A. aculeatum, which grows
all over the world. There are many varieties, of which A. proliferum,
from Australia, is a most elegant fern, and will grow either out of
doors or in the fernery ; it is frequently called Polystichum angulare
(fig. 873). The A. LoncJiitis, or Holly Fern (fig. 874), from the High-
land mountains, is a beautiful fern for greenhouses or for outdoor
ferneries. The A. falcatum, generally called Cyrtomium falcatum, is
a useful greenhouse fern, but hardly succeeds out of doors.
The Aspidium coriaccum, or Poly podium capcnse, as it is sometimes
called, is a fine hard fern with fronds from one to three feet long.
The genus Nephrodium, in which Hooker and Baker comprise all
the Lastreae, is another very large genus, which affords us many
important species. The N. Sieboldii, from Japan, is a fine fern, nearly
hardy if not quite. The N. patens is another fine fern, which readily
multiplies itself. This genus also gives to us the beautiful N. Thely-
pteris (fig. 876), the N. Oreopteris, called by Baker montanumy and the
noble Male Fern, or N. Filix-mas (fig. 875), which has an extensive
geographical distribution, and presents many varieties ; also the
N. cristatum, the N. spimdosum, with its varieties, and especially
N. dilatatum, or Broad Fern, and the N. <zmuluin, the Hay-scented or
4oo
MY GARDEN.
Bree's Fern, all of which are grown in the outdoor fernery. The N. molle
(fig. 913) is very common in ferneries, and may be used in places where
more esteemed plants will not grow. N. sanction is a slender, tufted,
and most elegant fern, from the West Indies.
The Oleandra articulata (fig. 914), from the East Indies, is rather
a favourite with me.
FIG. 913.— Nephrodium molle. FIG. 914.— Oleandra articulata.
Hooker and Baker have combined various genera into one large
genus, Polypodium, under which they have described 389 species
which have sori on the back of the fronds, which produce a fine effect.
The P. Phegopteris, or Beech Fern, grows better in the greenhouse or in
the open air than in the outdoor fernery. The P. hexagonoptennn,
from Canada, does well in the outdoor ferneries, as does the Oak Fern
(P. Dryoptcris] ; P. calcareiim, or Robertianum, which flourishes in the
orchard-house, is considered to be a variety of this. The P. alpestre,
and its variety P. flexile, is like the lady-
fern ; and the beautiful P. vulgar e, which
grows so abundantly over the country,
delights us with the golden sori at the
back of its fronds (fig. 870). P. Plumnla
is a graceful fern. P. squarrosum is a small
fern, with creeping rhizome and fronds
two or three inches long. The P. verruco-
stim (fig. 915), from the Philippine Islands,
is another beautiful species. The P. appendiculatum, with fronds about
two feet long, which when young are much tinged with red, is very
beautiful ; it is a native of the Eastern Himalayas. The P. lycopodioidcs,
FIG. 915. — Polypodium verrucosum.
FERNERIES. 401
called also Phymatodes lycopodioidcs, is a good basket fern, as is also
the P. liniatum. The Polypodium or Goniopholebium squamatum, from
the West Indies, is another good fern to suspend in a basket. The
Polypodium or Goniopholebium subauriculatum, with the fronds hanging
down from baskets, is very graceful ; it comes from the Malaccas
The P. Rcinwardtii is another basket fern, with fronds from two to
three feet long. The P. refractum is a fine fern, with light trans-
parent fronds from one to two feet in length. The P. lonccum, from
Mexico, has fronds from twelve to eighteen inches in lengfh. The
P. Fortunei, from China, has barren fronds from two to three inches,
and fertile fronds from twelve to eighteen inches long.
The P. adnascens, from India, is a distinct fern. It has both barren
and fertile fronds; the fertile fronds are from six to twelve inches
long. The P. GJieisbrcghtii, from South Mexico, has a very distinct and
remarkable character, and is hardly like a fern in appearance. P. repens
is another fern from Mexico. P. persic&folium is a fine basket fern,
with fronds three feet long. P. stigmaticum is a small fern from
Columbia, with fronds about three feet long.
The P.filipcs (fig. 916) is a small and pretty species, which lives on the
trunks of tree ferns, or creeps up the trunks of trees.
P. Heracleum is a noble fern from Java and the
Philippine Islands. P. piloselloidcs is a very small
and distinct species, which grows in a pan, and is
an interesting fern from the Himalayas. P. muses-
folium is exquisite in the nervation of its fronds,
which are from one to three feet long. It is a
native of the Malay Islands, and when well grown
FIG. 916.— Polypodium
is really a magnificent fern; -however, it is apt to fihpes-
die off if not grown with care., It should have abundance of light,
and the peat soil should be occasionally changed.
The Nothoclaena are a pretty genus of ferns, having fronds mostly
small, and generally not exceeding a foot in length. The N. nivea is a
very beautiful species from the Andes, which has the fronds completely
covered with white powder.
D D
402
MY GARDEN.
In the Silver and Gold ferns we have a group of lovely plants,
belonging to the Gymnogrammae. One species is so far British that it
grows in Jersey. I have seen plenty on the shores of the Mediterranean,
but have not been successful with, and do not now possess, the plant.
The G. calomelamos, with white powder, is a fine species ; and its variety
G. chrysophylla, with golden powder (fig. 917), should always be grown.
In winter time these beautiful ferns from the West Indies require but
little water, and should be placed near the
light. I have large plants of these ferns
which are of surpassing beauty. Seedlings
come up freely, but vary in excellence.
FIG. 917.— Gymnogramma chrysophylla. FlG 9l8._ Meniscium simplex.
The genus Meniscium embraces but few species, of which we
have one, M. simplex (fig. 918), which we grow in a basket. It is a
native of China.
FIG. 919.— Acrostichum crinitum. FIG. 920.- Platycerium alcicorne.
The genus Acrostichum is an important one. The A. crinitum
919), from the West Indies, is a very interesting and remarkable
plant, affording quite a contrast to delicate and graceful ferns : the
FERNERIES. 403
fronds are covered with hairs. The A. quercifolium is another most
interesting plant, with a frond like an oak-leaf.
The Stag-horn ferns, or Platyceriums, constitute a remarkable genus,
and help to diversify the aspect of a fernery. The P. alcicorne (fig.
920) is common, and will grow out of doors in the summer time, as it
comes from Australia. It likes light and air. When planted in a
suspended basket, young plants are formed at the apices of the roots,
so that an immense aggregation of plants is the result. P. grande is a
magnificent plant from Australia ; it has become somewhat scarce, but
I do not know the reason. A fine specimen is a splendid object. It
multiplies from spores, and I have seen seedlings at the Botanic Gardens
at Florence, and I myself possess one obtained from a nursery. I have
besides the P. czthiopicum, from the coast of Guinea. In all the
Platyceriums (and there are but five species known), the barren fronds
differ from the fertile, which resemble stag-horns. They are all fine,
interesting, and striking plants.
Another small genus, Osmunda, has only six species, of which we
grow three : one of them is O. regalis, with its diminutive from America,
O. gracilis (fig. 88 1) ; the other two are O. Claytoniana, also called
O. interrupta (fig. 882), and O, cinnamomca, both from Canada. We
prefer to grow all out of doors, though O. cinnamomea and O. Clay-
toniana are finer when grown in a cold house.
The Todea is another genus, containing only four species, but these
are of matchless beauty. T. barbara, or africana, as it is called by some,
from New Zealand, has a caudex of great size. There is a plant of
this species at the temperate house at Kew which weighs some hundred-
weights, and there is also one of large size at the Botanic Gardens at
Florence. My younger plants form finer fronds than even these large
and interesting plants.
The three other species, sometimes called Leptopteris, have filmy
membranous fronds. The T. JiymenopJiylloides is a lovely fern, which
when old has a stem like a tree fern, from the top of which the fronds
spring forth in the most elegant manner. This fern is liable to be
attacked by fungi, and likes air and light, and even this forms its caudex
D D 2
404
MY GARDEN.
very slowly. The T. superba (fig. 921) is a splendid fern, which was
discovered by Captain Cook in New Zealand. It is also liable to be
attacked by a parasitic fungus. I have both these last-mentioned
todeas out of doors, under glass in my
.drawing-room, and also in my fernery. The
T. Fraseri, the last species, is still a deside-
ratum with me. An illustra-
tion of a sporangia of a
todea is annexed.
There is one genus of
ferns (Lygodium) the mem-
bers of which are climbers,
and hence afford a remarkable contrast in habit to the others. The
L. palmatum, from America, is a fine climbing species, which lives
out of doors in my garden. The L. scandens (fig. 923), from South
China, is another climbing species, which covers posts, and ^ is very
graceful and elegant. We have also L. volnbile, from Cuba.
FIG. 921. — Todea superba.
FIG 922. — Sporangia
of Todea.
FIG. 923. — Lygodium scandens.
FIG 924. — Anemia fraxinifolia.
The Anemias, or Flowering ferns, are a very distinct genus, but are
perhaps more curious than beautiful, and do not produce much effect
in a house. The A. fraxinifolia (fig. 924) shows the character of this
genus.
We have a small plant of the gigantic Angiopteris evccta (fig. 925),
from India, Japan, and Ceylon, which when in perfection has fronds
FERNERIES. 405
fifteen feet long. We have also a single small plant of Marattia
laxa (fig. 926), from the coast of Guinea, which is another gigantic
fern, having stiff fronds of similar magnitude.
FIG. 925. — Angiopteris evecta.
FIG. 926. — Marattia laxa.
Of the family of Ophioglossiaceae we have only the Opkioglossiim
vnlgatum (fig. 880), which grows freely out of doors, but not in the
house ; and of the genus Botrychium we have B. simplex, from North
America, and B. Lunaria (fig. 879), a native of England.
The great botanist Linnaeus was only acquainted with 180 species of
ferns, so that more than twice as many are growing in my garden
than he had knowledge of.
In the cultivation of ferns, it is of primary importance that they
should never1 be allowed to become dry, and yet they ought not to be
unduly sodden with water at the roots, and I find that many of my
species have been lost from want of proper care. Almost all other plants
except ferns bear a drying, scorching sun, which renders the leaves
flabby in the daytime, but the damp of the midnight dews restores
them ; nevertheless ferns require a uniform and constant moisture.
There is, however, no rule without an exception, for, as I have
before stated, I have seen ceterach growing in Italy on the dry
Apennines, when the fronds seemed as if they were half baked,
and yet the plant survived and flourished.
As a general rule in the treatment of ferns, they like decomposing
but not rotten vegetal matter, moisture to the roots but not a soddened
soil, an atmosphere full of moisture but not water to the fronds, light
4o5 MY GARDEN.
without the burning rays of the sun, and fresh air but without draught.
Under these conditions they will attain to their highest perfection.
Ferns are propagated by division of the roots, from bulbs on the
leaves, and from spores. The method of raising ferns from spores is
very peculiar, and must be rightly practised to be successful. The
fronds of a fern — say of a lady-fern — are taken when the spores fall
spontaneously and freely, and those fronds should be selected which
have grown freely in the light and air in a warm place. The spores
are scattered over moist peat, interspersed with little
pieces of broken brick and sandstone, and the pan
is then covered with glass and kept in a shady
/f ff place till the spores commence to grow. When
a spore germinates, a filmy membrane appears,
called a prothallus (fig. 927), and resembling Mar-
chantia (fig. 824) in appearance. This sends down
FIG. 927. -Prothallus. roots into the ground ; but besides forms two bodies,
one the nidus of the future plant, and another containing active
bodies, which come in contact with the nidus and fertilize it. The
bud, after having been fertili-zed, throws up little leaves, and becomes
a miniature plant, and the prothallus disappears. It has been
recommended, in order to destroy all living organic matter, that
the peat should be immersed in boiling water before sowing the
spores.
LYCOPODS, OR CLUB MOSSES.
I have often planted the Club Mosses,
which are such interesting plants in moun-
tainous districts. I have had the Lycopodiuni
clavatum in quantity, but it never grew. On
the Welsh mountains this plant grows to a
length of many yards, and is a remarkable
FIG. 928.— Lycopodium seiago. sight. The L. sclago (fig. 928) and another
species are now growing in my mossery.
FERNERIES.
407
MARSILEAS.
I have had two species of Marsileas in my fernery, — M. quadrifolia,
a South European plant, and M. macropus, the Nardoo plant (fig. 929)
of the Australian explorers. Both require to be grown in a pan of
water, and flourish well during the summer, but there is some diffi-
culty in keeping them during the winter.
FIG. 930. — Selagii.ella denticulata.
FIG. 929.— Nardoo plant.
SELAGINELLAS.
No fern-house can possibly be considered perfect without Selagi-
nellas. I have gathered the common 5. denticulata (fig. 930) on both
sides of the Alps, and it lives through the hardest winters in my
outdoor fernery.
It affords us green foliage where we desire it, and is most easy of
cultivation, as it roots from the shoots as it grows. The 5. brasiliense
is a much smaller species, and 6\ apodum is a very dense-growing
one. The 5. ccesia is a most lovely species, from China, but it dies
down in winter : its colour is a fine bluish green. Another climbing
species, 6". ccesia arborea, which is of more robust habit, is also exqui-
sitely beautiful when well grown. It also is apt to die in winter time.
The 5". scrpcns is remarkable from changing the tint of its colour.
5. Schottii is a coarse-growing species, but 5. stolonifera is a beautiful
one, especially its white variety, and 5. nmbrosa and S. densa
are thicker-growing species. vS. Lyallii (fig. 931) is a .desirable plant
4o8
MY GARDEN.
to cultivate. I have tried 5. Willdenovii out of doors, but though it
survived some years it ultimately perished. Lastly, 5. circinalis is
interesting, as being imported in a dry state from America, under
the name of the Resurrection plant ; it uncurls when moistened, but
as far as my experience goes does not come to life again. All these
plants grow in peat earth, and most of them are readily propagated
by division.
The
HORSE-TAILS.
Equisetums, or Horse-tails, are an interesting class of
plants, as they contain so much silex as to
be capable of being used for polishing. Our
ground is remarkably free from these plants,
and we only find a few specimens of E. arvense.
\ have tried to introduce E. sylvaticum (fig. 932)
into my ferneries, but without success. It is
a very graceful plant, and grows in woods, in
places where the oak and beech ferns luxuriate.
When an opportunity occurs, I shall again
endeavour to introduce it.
FIG. 932. — Equisetum sylvaticum.
The delicate beauty of ferns and their allies is always enchanting,
but my available space does not permit me to describe all the beauties
my garden presents to view, nor all the various forms of each fern
which gladden the eyes of those who are capable of appreciating
their loveliness.
"For certes at my devise,
There is no place in Paradise
So good in for to dwell, or be,
As in that garden, thoughte me."— CHAUCER.
CHAPTER XII.
MY FOREST TREES.
"Par ses fruits, par ses fleurs, par son beau vetement,
L'arbre est de nos jardins le plus bel ornement :
Pour mieuK plaire a nos yeux combien il prend des formes ! "
DELILLE, Les Jardins.
ALTHOUGH my garden does not contain extraordinary specimens
of forest trees, yet in the district around us trees grow of a
magnitude and beauty almost unrivalled in Europe. First and
foremost, there are gigantic English Elms of many centuries' growth,
in the upper branches of which rooks delight to build, and under their
shade the cattle protect themselves from the mid-day sun. In the
adjacent grounds of Wallington House a group of noble trees adorns
the landscape, which I never can view without delight ; and on re-
turning from a tour on the Continent it is always a subject of remark
with me, that I have met with scarcely any trees of equal size, and the
contrast between them and the comparative pigmies I have observed
abroad is very striking.
" There were elmes great and strong." — CHAUCER.
The roots of elm-trees run near the surface for long distances,
and not only exhaust the soil, but send up shoots to form other
trees. I prevent them from encroaching upon my croquet-ground
and flower-borders by periodically digging a trench about three feet
deep, and cross-cutting every root running in an unsuitable direction.
4 io MY GARDEN.
There are many varieties of Elm, but the one cultivated about
Wallington is chiefly, if not entirely, the true English elm (fig. 933).
At some former period the elm appears to have been the favourite
tree. It is not much planted at the present time round London, as
of late years it has extensively died, and in our London parks has
been replaced by the plane-tree. The Weeping Elm, a variety of
the Scotch Elm (Ulmus montana), has large leaves and horizontal
branches, drooping at their tips, well adapted to shade a seat, for
which purpose I have one planted near the entrance to my fernery.
The effect which a large Elm has upon the landscape is well seen
in the moonlight view (plate 21), where an old tree in Beddington
Park is conspicuous.
FIG. 933 — Elm. FIG. 934. — Black Italian Poplar.
Next to the elm, the Black Italian Poplar (Populus monilifera,
fig. 934) takes a prominent place. It grows perhaps the most rapidly
of all trees, and is a desirable one to shut out unsightly objects. Very
tall trees of this species grow on the south side of the river, and
these now overshadow the south-west part of my garden. The Black
Italian Poplar tree is not a favourite of mine, as the branches are
long and straggling ; nevertheless, for the special object of rapidly
covering buildings, it has no equal, although it is late before it expands
its leaves in spring.
A Lombardy poplar or two (Populus fastigata) agreeably varies
a landscape. Its branches are upright, and it attains great height
FOREST TREES. 4II
with but little width. It may be seen in the view of the Mill
(plate 14) overtopping the other trees, and it forms a prominent object
in plate 16. This latter tree, thirty-two yards in height, has been blown
down since the picture was painted from which the plate was engraved.
Beautiful as these trees are interspersed amongst others, it is an abuse
of their peculiarities to plant them in rows by themselves, as then
their stiff, formal, upright growth is unpleasant to the eye. These
trees are readily propagated by cuttings.
On Mitcham Common a tree known by the name of the " Big
Tree" is very picturesque. It is the Black Poplar (Populus nigrd),
which flowers later than the Abele, and may be known by the warts
on its trunk (fig. 935).
FIG. 935.— Old Black Poplar. FIG. 936.— White Poplar.
The Aspen (Populus trcmula) is grown more in Scotland than here.
It abounds at Loch Katrine, of which Sir W. Scott writes —
"And variable as the shade
By the light quivering aspen made."
We have White Poplars (Populus alba], — " Populus Alcidae gratis-
sima" (VlRG. Bucol) — or Abele-trees (fig. 936), near us, which are
highly ornamental. The foliage is green on the upper side, but
white and downy on the lower, and it is perfectly fascinating when
fluttering in a summer's breeze. The white trunk of the tree forms
a fine object. A large tree grows a few feet from my garden, but
4,2 MY GARDEN.
it has been sadly injured by the cutting ordered by the road sur-
veyor, who about our district forbids any tree to 'encroach upon the
roadway. This tree in early spring produces so much cotton with
the seeds that the ground is covered with it, and therefore it does
not please tidy gardeners. It is however most ornamental, both
when growing by itself — when its form is specially beautiful — and
when judiciously mixed with other trees. There is a variety called
acerrifolia, of great beauty.
I have a tree or two of the Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera},
which has balsamic, gummy excretions about the buds, exhaling a
powerful odour ; and also a Weeping Poplar, which is a variety of
a species of no great importance, but pretty amongst small trees or
shrubs. It is the earliest of all forest trees in coming into leaf.
Our district abounds in noble Horse-chestnut trees (ALsculus
hippocastanum, fig. 937). Although the avenue of horse-chestnut trees
at Hampton Court is justly esteemed as one of the finest examples
of its kind in Europe, yet the full majesty of
each tree is rather spoilt by the trees having
been crowded together. When a single tree
is in flower, it presents one of the most
glorious sights of the vegetal kingdom. The
tree takes the general form of a gigantic
pyramid, and occasionally the branches hang
down for many yards, which give it a peculiar
and elegant appearance. In spring the tree
is covered with blossom, every flower being a
FIG. 937. — Horse-chestnut. • i i n i i r
pyramid, and every floweret a model of
beauty. In Kensington Gardens there are a few trees of surpassing
beauty, yet I generally have given the preference to those in
Beddington Park. Within the last ten years some of the magnificent
trees in the Park have been cut down. Unfortunately, the fruit of
this stately tree is unfit for human food. Deer, however, are so fond
of it that they will stand on their hind legs to gather it, but for
most other animals it is too bitter to be palatable.
FOREST TREES.
413
I have one or two Red Horse-chestnut trees (^Esculus rubicunda),
from North America, which are of lower and slower growth than the
common horse-chestnut The red chestnut is one of the most beautiful
trees which can be grown on a large lawn. It should stand by itself,
and its branches should touch the ground, when the peculiar glossy cha-
racter of the foliage, contrasting with pink blossoms, renders it highly
ornamental. There is a yellow horse-chestnut, which I grow, but it is
not particularly beautiful, and may be dispensed with, except when
there is ample room, and great variety needed.
The Lime may be seen in the highest perfection in Beddington
Park from my garden. It is called the Tillia europcea (fig. 938),
or Linden-tree, and has been the theme of admiration of German
poets. The exquisite forms of some of the
Park specimens greatly adorn our landscape.
There was once a grand avenue of limes,
but many have been destroyed by the
builder since he invaded this charming spot.
The tracery of the branches of the Lime-
tree seen against a clear blue sky in
winter is highly elegant, and then I never
can look at it without delight. The odour
of the flower in summer is delicious. Two
fine lime-trees grow in the Bank of England
before the windows of the parlour, in the
former churchyard of St. Christopher-le-Storks. The mats with
which we cover our plants in winter are made in Russia from its
inner bark, and gardeners use strips of this bark to tie up their
plants. Virgil says that he was displeased to see garlands tied
with the inner bark of the linden : " Displicent nexje philyra
coronae." Herodotus says : " The Scythian diviners take also the
leaves of the lime-tree, which, dividing into three parts, they twine
round their fingers; they then unbind it, and exercise the art to
which they pretend." The aphides which live upon it make so
much honeydew, that food is prepared for thousands of bees, wasps,
FIG. 938.— Lime.
414
MY GARDEN.
ants, and other living creatures. We may all say with Landor —
" Oh, who upon earth could ever cut down a linden ! "
There is a red-stalked variety, also of great beauty. I had a fine
young tree, which a former gardener — not imbued with the feeling
of Landor — much enraged me by cutting it down for a prop ; and
when expostulated with, excused himself by saying that he had no
idea it was a beautiful tree; proving that eyes are useless without
understanding.
We have only one oak (Querciis robur) in the place. Moderate-
sized ones exist in the neighbouring field, and smaller picturesque
old stumpy trees grow by the river side at Mr. Graham's, close at
FIG. 939.— Last Oak of Birnam Wood.
FIG. 940.— Turkey Oak at Fulham, struck by
lightning.
hand. Oaks are not sufficiently numerous in our district to be
important, and therefore I have figured the last oak of Birnam
Wood (fig. 939).
"Till Birnam Wood shall come to Dunsinane."— Macbeth.
I have one or two small Evergreen oaks (Quercns ilex), which
grow slowly, and for years may be used as tall shrubs. The Rev.
Mr. Bridges has a fine specimen in his grounds (fig. 958). I have
no Cork-tree (Qucrcus Suber}— which grows well at Fulham— nor do
I know of any specimen near at hand. Neither the Fulham oak,
nor the Turkey oak with its mossy acorns, nor the beautiful American
FOREST TREES. 415
oak — with its large leaves, that turn scarlet in the autumn — play
any part in the adornment of my landscape.
I have given an illustration of the effect of lightning discharge,
which occurred in the spring of 1871, upon a Turkey oak growing in
the grounds of Peterborough House, Fulham (fig. 940). The electric
current passed down the tree and darted through the air to the iron
hurdles, at the base of which it made a hole in the ground. It appeared
to have passed through the newly forming wood, or cambium, and in
the act of passing from the tree to the earth separated the bark from
the tree. The bark is loosened all round, and a piece may be seen
lying at the base. I am curious to see how such an extensive injury
will affect the vitality of the tree, and I shall watch its career with
interest. I have seen the effects of many such electrical discharges on
trees, and this may be taken as a fair example of the damage which
results. It also teaches us to beware of standing under a tree in a
thunderstorm.
A Willow-tree is always associated with rivers and wet places,
though persons who cultivate them say the best basket willows will not
flourish in very wet soil. There are numerous species, — from the small
procumbent one which lives, on the tops of the mountains of Scotland,
and which we grow in the alpinery, to the great Salix alba which lives
on the banks of our rivers. Virgil has remarked the effect of situa-
tion on various kinds of trees, which well indicates that the truth of an
observation of nature, once correctly made, will last from generation to
generation : —
" Nee vero terras ferre omnes omnia possunt.
Fluminibus salices, crassisque paludibus alni
Nascuntur, steriles saxosis montibus orni ;
Litora myrtetis laetissima ; denique apertos
Bacchus amat colles, Aquilonem et frigora taxi."
VIRGIL, Gcorgics.
We have several species. The White Willow (Salix alba, fig. 941)
is the most, important, as it forms a forest tree, and is rapid in
its growth. In midsummer, when the sun shines, every zephyr turns
the leaves, when the silvery whiteness of their under surface contrasts
4I6 MY GARDEN.
with the deep green of the pine. In the south of France and in
Italy the olive is somewhat similar to the white willow-tree in the
colour of the leaves, but the latter tree is more graceful. Any piece
stuck in the ground will grow, and hence it is troublesome by taking
root where it is not wanted.
The Weeping Willow (Salix babylonicd) is very elegant, but curiously
enough I never had one, nor are there many in the district. Its leaves
come out early in spring, and are apt to
be injured by frost. There is another
weeping willow (American Weeping Willow),
which has a finer and darker foliage, and a
*x^-Xwj3£y\^tdKf^NJ^&£ S^djiK^ "X^-i"^"'
far more moderate growth, and which is a
highly desirable plant to cultivate on lawns.
I have some, but they are rather crowded
from want of space. To grow this species
it must be grafted on a more vigorous
stock. We have several other species of
the numerous tribe of willows, of which that
FIG. 941.— white willow. one which is used in this country instead
of palm on the Sunday before Easter is. perhaps one of the most
interesting.
Herodotus, speaking of the Scythians, says : " They have amongst
them a great number who practise the art of divination: for this purpose
they use a number of willow twigs, in this manner. They bring large
bundles of these together, and having untied them, dispose them one by
one on the ground, each bundle at a distance from the rest. This done,
they pretend to foretell the future, during which they take up the
bundles separately, and tie them again together. This mode of divina-
tion is hereditary amongst them."
Sometimes willows are used for hedges, for which purpose the Salix
Kerksii is recommended by Scaling. This willow is bitter, and game
are said not to touch it. Several kinds are grown for basket-work, as
S. triandra, but the varieties of 5. purpurca are held in the highest
repute. The number of varieties appears to be legion, as the Duke
FOREST TREES.
of Bedford grows at Wcburn Abbey above 350 different kinds. The
propagation of the willow by cuttings, and even of some species by
inserting large branches in the ground, is easier than that of any
other tree.
Another notable river tree is the Alder (Almis glutinosa, fig. 942).
It grows in the water, or on the banks beside the water in boggy
places ; and some writers go so far as to
declare that it has a tendency to create a
swampy place. We use the alder freely
beside the water to hide the buildings of the
paper-mill, and in the adjoining park there
are some fine single trees of picturesque
appearance.
The common Ash (Fraxinus excelsior]
grows so freely in my ground, that it must
FIG. 942.— Alder.
be considered a weed and a nuisance, as
seedlings continually come up where . they are not wanted, and, if
not removed, grow so rapidly as to stifle the surrounding shrubs.
The ash is distinguished by the bold and rugged outline of its
branches ; it is an imposing tree as we see it in the valleys of
Scotland. There is a weeping variety, which is very useful to make
an artificial covering. We have one on the croquet-ground, with a
seat underneath ; and close to Wallington Bridge we have another,
which forms a dark bower to protect us from the fierce rays of the
sun in the summer months. At the Zoological Gardens of London
the weeping ash is judiciously used to protect the visitors at the
entrance, and also the animals in the interior of the grounds. It
grows rapidly in good soil, but slowly in a dry place, and there
requires manure to develop it quickly.
Virgil, contrasting it with other trees, says of the ash :—
" Fraxinus in silvis pulcherrima, pinus in hortis,
Populus in fluviis, abies in montibus aids."
One of the greatest ornaments of mountain scenery, the Mountain
Ash (Pyrus aucuparia), is of a different genus from the common ash :
E E
4,8 MY GARDEN.
it does not thrive very well with me. Its great excellence consists in its
•hardiness, and in the beauty of the clusters of scarlet berries (fig. 943)
with which the tree is covered in autumn. In Scotland it is one of the
greatest ornaments of the mountains ; but in
my garden it has not, up to the present time,
been of any importance. Formerly the rowan-
tree was an object of superstition. The berries
used to be tied round the necks of children
to preserve them from witchcraft, when the
following couplet was recited :—
" Rowan tree and red thread
FK;. 043. — Mountain Ash. . . . , . , ,,
Drives the witches at their sped.
From inquiries I made in Scotland this year, it appears that this
superstition no longer exists, and a forester, in answer to my interroga-
tions, declared that the " schoolmaster had driven it away." A similar
superstition exists to this day at Naples, where people of education and
position use charms of red coral for a similar purpose.
As we naturally associate the alder and the willow with water, so we
connect the Beech (Fagus sylvaticd] with a dry soil. The manner in
which it clothes the hills at Marlovv is a good example of its flourishing
in a dry chalky soil ; and in the neighbouring parish of Carshalton a
grove of beeches exists in an equally dry spot. Notwithstanding that
the beech loves a dry soil, it grows freely immediately outside my
garden, and in a position where the roots of the tree are within a foot
or two of the water-line. A grove of beeches is always beautiful, and
this tree contributes much to the beauty of the scene around us. The
beech-tree is readily propagated by seed. It then grows fast, attains a
large size, has a beautiful form, and the glossy green colour of the leaves
is very charming. The smooth bark tempts the rustics to carve their
names upon it, from the idea that the inscription will enlarge with
the growth of the tree. The practice is ancient, as Virgil records
that lovers did the same, that their love might grow as the tree grew.
" Tenerisque meos incidere amores
Arboribus ; crescent illae, crescentes amores."
FOREST TXEKS. 419
A remarkable variety, the Copper Beech (/'". sylvatica pnrpurea,
fig. 944), reputed to have been found in a wood in Germany, is a
very striking object amongst other trees. One or two may with
great advantage be planted. Immediately adjoining my garden, there
are two beautiful trees, which I greatly admire. A single purple
beech is very handsome, but it does not grow freely in all situations.
A very fine single specimen grew so rapidly in the grounds of
Mr. Beadnell, at Tottenham, that it kept the air and light from the
house, so that he was ultimately compelled to cut it down. Care
must be taken to procure a tree with leaves of good colour, and
specimens from good originals are procured by inarching the copper
on the common beech.
FIG. 944. — Copper Beech.
FIG. 945.— Birth.
I also have a very singular variety called the Pendulous Beech. It
is of a drooping habit ; and if a shoot be artificially stretched out at
right angles, the branches grow downwards. One such tree in a suitable
spot is an object agreeable to the eye. I have observed that various
specimens of beech exhibit a variation in their drooping properties.
Some trees grow with their branches erect, whilst in others they are
more or less pendulous. There is a beech-tree of very elegant habit
at Monnymusk Manse, which has a charming drooping head.
One of our more hardy trees — which grows well on the driest
soils, and yet by no means objects to a wet situation — is the Birch
(fig. 945), " the Lady of the Woods." We have them to the south
E E 2
420 MY GARDEN.
of my garden, on a bed of sand, and to the north, on a wet, boggy
place; but to see this tree in glorious perfection we must go to the
Trossachs, or to other parts of the Highlands of Scotland, where
its white bark and elegant drooping habit, contrasting with purple
heather, dark Scotch pine, and scarlet-berried mountain ash, make a
scene of the most charming beauty, in itself amply worth a journey
to the Highlands to contemplate. There are two varieties, Betitla
alba, with smooth bark, and B. alba pendula, with knotted roughnesses
on the stem — growing naturally. There is also another variety, called
the Cut-leaf Birch, reputed to be very desirable for cultivation.
" Beorc is beautiful in its branches :
It rustles sweetly in its leafy summit,
Moved to and fro by the breath of heaven."
Anglo-Saxon Poem on the Names of the Runes ,
by HlCKES.
The name of the Mock Plane-tree (Acer pseudo-plat amis) has been
given to the Sycamore, which is unfortunate, as it causes a confusion
between the sycamore and the plane trees. It grows freely with me
on the border of the lake, but it is
a tree not greatly to be admired,
especially as it is liable to have its
large leaves attacked in autumn
by an aphis, when they are subse-
quently disfigured by large black
fungus spots. The celebrated
Birnam Wood in Scotland has
two of the original trees left, — one
FIG. 946. — Last Sycamore of Birnam Wood. • r ir /r\
a magnificent sycamore (fig. 946).
The sycamore has the merit of coming into leaf early, and of being
easily raised from seed. The sycamore is allied to the sugar maple,
and it is said, like that tree, to yield sugar from the sap ; but of
this I cannot speak from my own experience. There are many other
species of maple which I do not grow, but the Japan Variegated
Maple and the American Maple, the leaves of which in autumn become
scarlet, are very desirable acquisitions.
FOREST TREES.
421
The Plane-tree (fig. 947) is sometimes confounded with the syca-
more, but it is really a very different tree, and belongs to a different
genus (Platanns). It is truly a noble tree. There are two species, P.
orientalis and P. Occident alis, — both very similar, — but one has been
imported from Europe or
from the East of Asia, the
other from America. The
fruit — very unlike that of
the sycamore — is globular,
and droops gracefully from
a long stalk. The plane is
now the fashionable tree of
the period, and is used ex-
tensively in all our London
Parks to replace the dying
elms. It abounds in the
gardens of our London
squares. A good example
is to be seen in Cheapside,
at the corner of Wood Street, and a grand tree of P. occidcntalis exists
outside my garden, on ground in the occupation of Mr. Sheppey.
An enormous P. orientalis exists in private grounds in Carshalton
village, near running water. The Eastern may be known from the
Western tree by its leaves being more deeply cut. The plane is a
tree of the highest excellence where magnitude is required, but it
has the one great disadvantage of coming into leaf late in spring.
I have grown the A ilanthus glandulosa, which has large leaves with
from nine to eleven leaflets. Experiments have been tried to raise the
Bombyx cyrthia on this tree, for its silk, but I believe up to this time
without success in England.
Amongst the most beautiful of ornamental trees, the Laburnum
stands pre-eminent for the beauty of its flowers, which hang in pendent
yellow blossoms so distinct and bright as to shine out and shed
their lustre across the garden. It is such a favourite of mine, that
FIG. 947.— Plane-tree.
422
MY GARDEN.
I have at least fifty trees. When planted beside a bright scarlet
thorn and a Guelder rose, the combination — especially if conjoined
with the flower of the medlar— is marvellous to behold. I have such a
group on my swan island ; and when the season is favourable, and all
the trees blossom at the same time, the effect is more easily imagined
than described.
There are two kinds, the Cytisus Laburnum and the C. L. alpinurti,
the English and Scotch laburnums; the latter flowering later than
the former, and thus prolonging the laburnum blossoming season.
The one known as Waterer's variety has blossoms a foot and a half
long (fig. 948) ; of this I have one tree. The laburnum is a strikingly
beautiful object in the Tete Noir Pass in
Switzerland, where I have seen it in flower
in June. In Scotland it is common. Though
our gardens are usually ornamented with its
brilliant pendent blossom, yet in some years
FIG. 948.— Laburnum D
FIG. 949. — Arbutus unedo.
the flower-buds are frozen by a late spring frost, and in that case the
trees give little, and occasionally no blossom, and my garden is then
deprived of one of its greatest charms. The trees are readily raised
from the black seeds, which children are sometimes prone to eat, to
their own destruction, as they are intensely poisonous.
A lovely evergreen tree, Arbutus uiicdo (fig. 949), which grows
naturally in Ireland, and which produces fruit resembling strawberries,
succeeds well near London, but does not prosper in my garden, on
account of the frost severely injuring it.
FOREST TREES. 423
For the sake of the blossom I have been careful to adorn my
garden with various varieties of Thorn (Cratagus). The common
Hawthorn (Cratcegns oxyacantha) is perhaps as beautiful as any, though
many of its varieties cannot be dispensed with in any well-ordered
garden. The bright Single Scarlet (fig. 950) is
the finest of all, and I have many trees of it.
The Double Pink is also desirable, and, though
far removed in beauty from the single, should
be grown, — though more sparingly. There is
one peculiar variety, the Glastonbury Thorn
(C. oxyacantJia prcecox), which flowers about
Christmas, of which I have only recently pro- *'«;• 95°.— Red May.
cured an example. The suburbs of London during the brief time the
thorn, laburnum, horse-chestnut, and lilac are in flower, are really a
paradise ; and as this is frequently at Whitsuntide, the Whitsun
holiday is — to the bulk of the labouring population of this overgrown
city — the most delightful in the year. The thorn is extensively used
for hedging, and I have lately tried a novel mode of planting it.
Thorns are used about three feet high, and are planted in a double
row, crossing each other at an angle of 45°. The object is rapidly
to secure a dense, stiff hedge, as the branches interlace in every
direction. There are very many distinct species of thorn, many of
which it is desirable to cultivate where there is room ; I have some
four or five.
" The hawthorn whitens ; and the juicy groves
Put forth their buds, unfolding by degrees,
Till the whole leafy forest stands display'J,
In full luxuriance, to the sighing gales."
THOMSON'S Seasons.
There is a beautiful tree, called the Maidenhair tree (Salisburia
adiantifolia), which I ought to possess, but do not. The leaves of
this tree are formed like the Maidenhair fern, and the whole tree is
exquisitely beautiful.
I find that Mongredien, in his excellent book on trees, states that
the Lemon-scented Verbena (Aloysia ciiriodora,hg. 951) will live out
424
MY GARDEN.
FIG. 951.— Lemon
Verbena.
of doors, though sometimes cut to the ground by frost. This I shall
try next year, for the scent of the leaves is exquisite. No garden
should ever be without a plant, although it is now
the fashion amongst gardeners to discard it because
it has been common. It is only by the more intelli-
gent cultivators of plants, who are above such silly
notions, that it is now grown. It is said to attain
a height of twenty feet in China.
I have sometimes used the Hornbeam (Carpinus
Betulus), but sparingly, and I have no large tree of
it. It grows wild to a great extent in Epping
Forest, and it is said to be much appreciated for firewood. It is
adapted to make hedges of protection.
The Acacia (Robinia Pseud- Acacia} is used to shut out low build-
ings. It grows with great rapidity when young, and has a blossom of
delicious scent. The wood is remarkably brittle, and breaks readily from
the force of the wind ; this causes the trees to become ragged and un-
sightly. For this reason the tree, although extravagantly extolled by
Cobbett, is of but limited utility. " Acacia — that consecrated and vene-
rable tree of the burning bush and of the tabernacle." (STANLEY.)
The Yew-tree (Taxus baccata) is useful in a -young state to plant
in moist places, and under shade,
where other trees will not grow,
and I use it advantageously for
that purpose. In Beddington
Churchyard there is a fine yew
(fig. 952), and upon the downs
about three miles south of my
garden it grows wild plentifully
and vigorously in the hedgerows,
where its dark foliage gives a
peculiar character to the landscape.
The Irish Yew (Taxus fastigiatd],
or Upright Yew, is a stiff tree of upright growth, and is very useful
FIG. 952.— Yew.
FOREST TREES. 425
in a position suitable for a tree of that character. It is univer-
sally esteemed to be very beautiful, and we have several in my
garden. An old tree assumes the form of an inverted pyramid,
being broadest at the top.
On a hill south of the chalk downs the Box-tree (Buxus sempcrvirens)
grows wild, but I have never seen it so growing anywhere else. We
use it for edging the walks, as it bears any amount of clipping. Our
forefathers used to cut the tree into the form of birds or animals,
which occasionally may be seen in country villages. The best example
of clipped trees I ever saw was at the Pope's garden attached to the
Vatican in Rome, where amongst other animals a cow with its horns is
marvellously rendered by clipping a tree. This horticultural extra-
vagance, though not to be admired, is interesting, as showing the extent
to which some trees may be clipped and deformed by ill-bestowed
patience and care.
" The suffering eye inverted nature sees,
Trees cut to statues, statues thick as trees." — POPE.
On the dry chalk downs to the south-east, the Juniper (Juniperus
commnnis) grows abundantly. It is remarkable for the brightness of
the colour of the foliage. I have a plant or two. The Red Cedar
(Juniperus virginiana) is one of the largest trees
of the genus, but my soil and climate are not
adapted to it, and it speedily perishes.
In my immediate neighbourhood, at "The Elms,"
a large Holly (Ilex Aqnifolium, fig. 953) exists upon
the lawn ; but at my garden there are only a few
small trees of the variegated-leaved varieties, such
as the /. Aquifolium ferox, or Hedgehog variety,
which has the surface of the leaves spiny. There
are several other charming kinds, the leaves of __
which are silver or golden coloured ; and though FlG. 953._Hoiiy.
we have not required them in my grounds, that is no reason why
they should not be freely grown by others, as they light up the
420
MY GARDEN.
garden with their brilliantly coloured leaves and berries in wintry
snow, when flowers are absent.
Amongst all the flowering trees, the Magnolias (fig. 954) are the
most remarkable. The Magnolia conspicua flowers with me in early
spring, and between my garden and London there are many of the
glorious Magnolia grandiflora trained over the sides of the houses,
adorning them with noble flowers in summer.
The Catalpa (fig. 955) is a fine orna-
mental tree, which should be in every garden,
as it produces its elegant spike of flowers in
August, a time when flowers are scarce.
Everyone who has a fine Catalpa is proud
of it. It is rather tender ; but a large tree,
FIG. 954.— Magnolia.
FIG. 955.— Catalpa.
now decaying, exists at Hampton Court Palace, said to have been
planted by a Lady Mornington. There is a fine tree in the grounds
of Mr. Bristowe at Clapham Common, which flowers well, but is
showing signs of decay. The one at my garden is just beginning
to blossom.
The Tulip-tree (Liriodendron tulipiferd], which has fine flowers,
I do not grow, nor have I seen it in the district.
The Prunus sinensis, whether for a pot tree or for outdoor
growth, is very desirable ; and the curious Prunus triloba affords the
most glorious rose-coloured blossoms in the orchard-house in early
spring.
We have the Spindle-tree (Euonymus curopceus] overhanging niy
FOREST TREES. 427
garden from the Park. The fruit is of a bright rose colour, and the
tree is a beautiful object in autumn.
I have not the Snowy Mespilus (Awclanchier Botryapium\ but it is
a most desirable tree, having abundance of snowy-white flowers.
The Snowdrop-tree (Halesia tetrapterd] is little cultivated, although
it was introduced into this country, from South Carolina, more than a
hundred years ago. Its snowdrop-like flowers, which cover the tree,
make it a most interesting object for every garden.
There is only one Palm which lives out of doors in England,
the Cham&rops cxcelsa (fig. 956). It stands
the severest frosts, and blossoms well in the
Regent's Park. It grows very slowly in this
country, but being an endogenous plant it
forms an interesting variety, very different
from our ordinary trees. In my garden it
grows very slowly, and as far south as Rome
and Naples the larger trees are imported. FIG. 956."-3Src!y Palm.
The various Coniferous plants require more space than my garden
can afford ; nevertheless some interest attaches to the few we possess.
Even the common Scotch Fir (Pinus sylvestris) lends beauty to the
landscape, with its dark green foliage, and when grown with other trees
the colour of the bark of the naked stem adds much to the picturesque
effect. We have four or five old trees about the place, which are
valuable additions. To view the Scotch pine in perfection, it should
be seen by the light of the setting sun, when its effect is magnificent.
The Pinus Pinaster-, of which we have only small trees, is a noble pine.
I have tried P. insignis, which is remarkable for its grass-green colour,
but it has been killed by frost, although it flourishes at the top of
St. George's Hill. I have not yet ascertained whether the P. Pinca,
or Stone Pine, which gives such a peculiar character to Italian scenery,
will live at my garden.
Of all the Fir tribe, for lawn decoration none can surpass Abies
Pinsapo. It grows slowly, and is impatient of removal. I killed a
splendid tree by removing it. The Abies Douglasii is also a fine pine,
428
MY GARDEN.
of which I have examples; it attains a great height in California.
The flag-staff at Kew, which is 150 feet high, is an A. Doitglasii.
A typical specimen may be seen on
St. George's Hill, Weybridge. I have no
tree of Picea pectinata, nor of the Silver
Fir ; nor of P. nobilis, which is a really
noble species of pine (fig. 957) ; nor any
large tree of the common Spruce Fir
(Abies excelsd), which is adapted for large
plantations, and of which noble trees FIG. 957.-Cone
exist at Dunkeld, and also at Monnymusk, in Scotland.
Pines are mentioned by Herodotus as follows : — Crcesus ",sent to the
Lampracenes requiring them to set" Miltiades "at liberty; threaten-
ing on their refusal to destroy them like pines. They deliberated among
themselves concerning the meaning of this menace from Crcesus, which
greatly perplexed them ; at length one of their elders explained it, by
informing them, that of all the trees the pine was the only one which,
once being cut down, shot out no more offsets, but totally perished."
We have three kinds of cedars, — the Cedrus atlantica, C. Libani, and
C. Deodara, but the most eminent botanists consider them as mere
varieties of the same
species. The C. Libani
is a very grand tree when
it has plenty of room.
The largest I ever saw
is at Enfield, supposed to
have been planted by Dr.
Uvedale soon after 1660.
Mr. Walford, however,
believes it to be still
older, and inclines to the
traditionary view that it was planted by Cardinal Wolsey. The Rev.
A. Bridges has three fine examples of this tree in the grounds attached
to his house at Beddington (fig. 958). I have figured two (a and c\
FIG. 958. — Cedars of Lebanon and Evergreen Oak.
FOREST TREES. 429
with a fine evergreen oak (b) between them. The following are the
dimensions of the three cedar trees :—
i 2 3
FT. IN. FT. IN. FT.. IN.
Circumference at ground ..."'« ,. 26 o . . 27 o . . 27 o
„ four feet above . . . 17 8 . . 16 2 . . 17 6
Height of tree . . 80 o . . 90 o . . 70 o
Greatest spread of branches . . . . 94 o . . 72 o . . 107 o
The figure of the cedar cones (fig. 959) is from the pencil of
Mrs. Jackson. The wood of the Cedar contains a volatile essential oil,
which has the curious property of
unsettling printers' ink and making
it run. Some years ago a Bank
of England note was offered to
the cashiers with its printing dis-
turbed. Inquiries were set on
foot, and it WaS traced tO Several Fl°- 959--Cones of Cedar of Lebanon.
individuals, who satisfactorily explained its custody and possession.
It was then brought to me, when I suggested that the detectives should
inquire whether it had been kept in a cedar box ; it was then dis-
covered that the last possessor had kept it in a new cedar box which
she had recently bought, and thus the mystery was solved.
The Himalayan variety, the C. Deodam, is now a great favourite,
and is generally planted at the present time, to the neglect of the
C. Libani. When young it is very graceful, and the ends of the
branches are pendulous. As it grows it raises the ends of its branches,
like C. Libani. It is somewhat tender, and with rne it is occasionally cut
down by frost. Trees covered by snow have escaped, but those from
which the snow was blown died back. This variety is apt to die when
about fifteen or sixteen years old. A friend of mine expressed an
opinion that this would be the case, arguing that a mountain variety
will not flourish in the plains ; and though he planted with the greatest
care a number of the healthiest specimens he could procure, it is
a remarkable fact that many of his trees have died, as he predicted.
Where cedars are required the C. Libani, among large species, is
43°
MY GARDEN.
probably preferable. The effect of C. Deodara in a garden is well seen
in plate 10.
A gigantic tree, Wellingtonia gigantca, or Sequoia, has been in-
troduced from California so recently as the year 1854, which is now
being planted in every large garden, and does
very well in some. It seems to delight in a
soil where gold quartz exists, and then it attains
the prodigious height of 400 feet, about the
same height as the top of the cross on the dome
of St. Paul's Cathedral. It is a tree which
requires much light and air, with a damp soil ;
and the proximity of other trees, even at a
considerable distance, impairs its symmetry and
growth. I raised one from seed, which is now
sixteen feet high, and its girth at the ground
three feet ; its growth is most symmetrical
F,c. 960.- Wellingtonia gigantea. ^ beautiful (fig- ^^ Mr JacksOll, at Beech-
wood Lodge near my garden, has a good specimen.
A Wellingtonia was planted in the pleasure-grounds of Strathfield-
saye by her Grace the Duchess of Wellington in April 1857. In
January 1872 his Grace the Duke of Wellington had it measured,
when it was found to be 30 feet high, 8 feet 7 inches round the trunk
at the ground, and 5 feet 4 inches in circumference four feet from the
ground. The diameter of the branches was 18 feet 6 inches.
Two other trees, which were used to decorate the supper-table on
the occasion of a ball at Apsley House, at which her Majesty and
the late Prince Consort were present, were planted in October 1865
near the monument to the late Duke of Wellington. One is now 18
feet 4 inches high, the other 17 feet 9 inches; the circumference of
the trunk at the base of the first being 3 feet 7 inches, of the second
4 feet, and the diameter of the branches 10 feet 6 inches and
10 feet respectively. As these trees were properly planted, and
have been well cared for, they fairly exhibit the normal growth of the
species in this country under favourable circumstances. Having also an
FOREST TRK1-.S.
historical interest, this record, which has been kindly supplied to me by
the Duke himself, will serve as a basis from which the rate of growth
of this noble tree may in future be determined.
A forest of Wellingtonias is situated in a small valley near the
head waters of San Antonio, in California. It contains ninety-three
trees about ten years old. The "Father of the Forest" (fig. 961),
perhaps the largest tree in the world, is thrown down, and is supposed
to have been 453 feet high and 40 feet in diameter. Its interior is hollow
and burnt, but the cavity is sufficiently large
for a man on horseback to ride inside. Mr.
Townsend, who visited this spot, kindly lent
me a photograph of this tree to figure. I have
also illustrated part of a tree called " George
Washington," which is represented as a first-
FIG. 961. — The " Father of the Forest."
FIG. 962. — "George Washington."
class tree 384 feet high (fig. 962). The form of my young trees is
exquisitely symmetrical ; the branches for the first few years grow
horizontally outwards, but after a time they take an upward direc-
tion, and are not then quite so beautiful. They propagate freely
from cuttings, but trees so procured are not so desirable as seedlings,
which should invariably be employed where a proprietor desires his
posterity to see this tree in perfection.
The stiff, radiating branches of the Puzzle Monkey-tree (Araucaria
imbricata) give it a character so peculiar that it contrasts strongly with
every other tree in the garden, and gives a pleasing variety to the
scene. It is much more hardy when thoroughly exposed to the light
than when apparently protected by shrubs. It bears the snow on its
432 MY GARDEN.
stiff branches with impunity, but severe frost is apt to brown the leaves.
I have several plants, and had several others, which were killed through
moving. The first planted in this country is at Kew, but the finest
I have seen is in the garden of the late Mr. Tabor, at Brentwood.
In Chili, its native country, the cones are reported each to yield two
or three hundred seeds, and to be an important article of food for the
Indians, just as the seeds of the stone pine are an article of luxury
to the inhabitants of Italy.
In Beddington Park, near the church, are two fine Larch-trees
(Larix europcea), which must be of considerable age (fig. 963). Several
FIG. 963. — Larch in Beddington Park, FIG. 964. — Larch at Dunkeld.
trees were imported from the Tyrol in 1738, and five were left at
Dunkeld. The two in Beddington Park are not so old as two now
growing at Dunkeld, nor as some growing at Paradise in Monnymusk
parish, Aberdeenshire. One of the first imported was kept in the
dining-room at Monnymusk House till too large, and then was planted
out in the avenue of beech-trees. This larch is not nearly so large as
those magnificent trees at Dunkeld, one of which is fifteen feet round
at three feet from the ground, and 96 feet high (fig. 964^. The Larch
is a very beautiful tree in early spring, and has proved highly remu-
nerative to those who planted it fifty years ago, as it has been used
extensively for railway sleepers. Of late years it has become liable to
FOREST 77v'AV-:.s-.
433
disease ; it has been attacked by aphides, and becomes unhealthy,
and the whole tree frequently dies. I have particularly observed that
in the Tyrol it grows on vertical sides of the mountain, one tree
above another, so that every part of each is thoroughly exposed to the
air and light of the sun. Whether the trees do not get their natural
conditions, whether they have been planted amongst the rotting roots
of former larches infested with the mycelium of fungi, or whether the
seasons have been unpropitious, or what other causes have been at
work, does not appear to be thoroughly understood.
On the Apennines, the Cypress (Cupressus sempervireus) forms a
conspicuous feature of the landscape, clothing the sterile sides of the
FIG. 965. — Cupressus Lawsoniana.
FIG. 966.— Taxodium Distichum.
mountains to their bare tops. In the environs of Florence there is a
grand grove of cypresses, of large size ; their dark foliage is well
adapted to give shade from the intense light of an Italian sky. We
do not grow the tree to any size. I have tried the Cupressus funcbris,
from China, without success ; but the Cupressus Lawsoniana (fig. 965),
which was introduced from California in 1852, grows rapidly with me,
nearly as fast as the Wellingtonia ; it seems to like a soil which is
always moist, and its form is so fine that it is a desirable tree to
have in every garden.
The Deciduous Cypress (fig. 966) is to my mind a most elegant
F F
434 My GARDEN.
tree : the cut leaves are delicate when the foliage is green, but in
autumn also the tints are fine. I have a tree of this species, which
I greatly admire, but there are two in the neighbouring garden
which are models of beauty, and which are the admiration of every
passer-by.
I planted a great many trees of Cryptomeria japonica, which
grow freely, but are liable to be so much disfigured by frost as
to render them almost ineligible for a garden. A typical tree
may be seen on St. George's Hill, which well exhibits its pyramidal
form.
The Arbor- Vritce, or Thuja, is a perfectly hardy tree, well adapted
for screens. There are other species, which I have not grown. I do
not know a more excellent tree for a la\vn than the golden variety of
the Biota orientalis, or Chinese Arbor-Vita;. The brilliant colour of its
newly-formed branches is intense, and the general form of the tree is
extremely elegant.
There are many fruit trees which are used as forest trees. The
Walnut (fig. 967), which abounds in Carshalton Park, is one. The
annexed figure is drawn from
a walnut-tree near Beddington
Hall. The Wild Cherry-tree
is extremely beautiful when
covered with its white flowers,
and in autumn its scarlet
•
leaves render it again very
FJG. 967.— Walnut-tree. attractive. The double varie-
ties are very charming, and are much prized. The Pear-tree attains
majestic proportions, but is not handsome. The Siberian Crab-tree
is twice in the year a beautiful sight, — once when covered with its
lovely blossom, and again with its useful fruit. The Elderberry-trees,
especially the scarlet variety, are all an addition to our trees. The
Spanish Chestnut is a fine forest tree, but it is not grown in our
district. Its produce in the southern parts of Europe is valuable,
and it demands more attention in England than it has received.
FOREST TREES. 435
In any situation where it will grow, a tree or two of the Spanish
Chestnut should never be omitted.
Bounding the north-east side of my garden, and protecting it from
cold winds, a bank of trees exists, which is glorious when lit up by the
setting sun, and grand when reflected in the lake": —
u Let lofty firs, and ashes cool,
My lowly banks o'erspread ;
And view, deep-bending in the pool,
Their shadows' wat'ry bed ! "—BURNS.
It is composed of the elm, beech, horse-chestnut, willow, alder, birch,
poplar, ash, sycamore, and Scotch pine. The contrast of foliage
afforded by the various trees is picturesque, and the diverse tints which
the leaves assume in autumn is particularly fine. By the great
kindness of the Rev. A. Bridges, 1 have been permitted to use a walk
under this grove of trees, which skirts Beddington Park. It is difficult
to estimate the value of such a permission, which gives to my garden
the " little wood beside the crystal stream " which Horace desired, and
which Milton described : —
" A pleasant grove,
With chant of tuneful birds resounding loud ;
Thither he bent his way, determined there
To rest at noon ; and enter'd soon the shade
High-roofed, and walks beneath, and alleys brown
That open'd in the midst a woody scene ;
Nature's own work it seem'd (Nature-taught Art),
9 And to a superstitious eye the haunt
Of wood-gods and wood-nymphs."
There are many large trees in my neighbour's grounds to the south-west
of the garden, which tower over the houses, and look like a forest.
One or two Lombardy poplars out-top the other trees, and break the
outline, adding materially to the picturesque effect.
" One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the sages can."
\Voki ISUOKTH, An Evening
F F 2
436 MY GARDEN.
The Almond-tree (Ainygdalus communis) is indispensable, on account
of the beauty of its flower in early spring, and also of the fruit (already
described). The Double-blossomed Peach (Amygdalus pcrsica) is very
fine, and, besides, yields edible fruit at the end of October or in
November. Mr. Fortune introduced some exquisitely coloured varieties
of flowering peaches ; I have tried them, but they have not succeeded
in my soil and climate, although they are most desirable spring
blossoming trees.
SHRUBS.
No garden can dispense with shrubs, and perhaps for general utility
the Laurel (Ccmsns lauroccrasns, fig. 968) has no peer. Its bright
green leaves are invaluable, especially as it will grow in almost
every situation, and even under the shade of
trees. When the wood is thoroughly ripened it
will stand any frost, but immature and sappy
shoots are frequently killed in winter. It is better
in a dry than in a wet situation, and, as was
pointed out by the great naturalist Gilbert White,
it stands severe winters better in a northern than
in a southern situation, where the snow is alter-
FIG. 968.-Laurei. nately melted and frozen. We use it in many
places where an evergreen or a screen is needed. It may be easily
propagated by cuttings planted in September. The leaves on distil-
lation yield prus.sic acid, and the laurel water is highly poisonous.
Where a very large shrub is required the Portugal Laurel (Ccrasns
Lnsitanicci) may be employed. Girgov describes a Portugal laurel
which had a trunk eleven feet in circumference and was thirty feet
high, with a head fifty-four feet in diameter. This species has only
been employed at my garden with the same object as the common
laurel, but it does not submit to removal so well as that shrub.
I have had Bay-trees (Laurus nobilis], but they have been always
greatly injured by the peculiar climate of my garden.
SHRUBS. 437
There is considerable difficulty in growing the Laurustinus (Vi-
Imrnnm Tinns], as the frost is apt to kill it. There were at one
time fine specimens of this kind of shrub at Hampton Court Gardens,
which were killed by frost one severe winter ; and at the Hazel Park,
in Bedfordshire, the shrubberies were much defaced by nearly the
whole of the laurustinuses being destroyed. It does not thrive in my
garden ; but its property of flowering in winter, and the delicate odour
of the flower, render it a very desirable addition to any garden in
which it will flourish.
Whether for shade, for hedges, or for the evergreen character of its
leaves, I have ever found the Privet (Ligustruin vulgare) to be useful,
from its hardiness. The dark purple berries are ornamental in winter.
There are several varieties of it, which I do not grow.
I cannot say that the Blotch-leaved Aucuba japonica is a great
favourite of mine, although it is abundant in every suburban garden,
and is perfectly hardy. Though introduced in the year 1783, it was
only within the last few years known to be bisexual, and that the female
plant only was propagated in this country. However, the male plant
has been at length introduced, and the blossoms of the female tree
may be fertilized, when it afterwards becomes covered with red berries.
I have readily obtained the red berries on trees flowering in the
orchard-house, but as yet I have not myself seen trees fertilized out
of doors, though, as they are usually covered with a profusion of
blossom, it is possible that at a future time we may see the outdoor
trees also covered with scarlet berries, if our climate is favourable
to the development of the fruit.
The Phillyreas, of which there are three species, are not much
grown in gardens, — not nearly so much as they deserve, for the foliage
is very fine, the tree is perfectly hardy, and the habit close and
admirably adapted for a screen, for which purpose I have used it ; it
may also be advantageously grown as a single tree.
For forming a screen the Snowberry (Syuiphoricarptis racemosus) is •
very useful, as it will grow under trees, and may be easily transplanted.
When covered with its large white berries, it is very ornamental.
438
MY GARDEN.
FIG. 969.— Lilac.
The holly, box, and yew are trees which may be made to assume a
shrubby character, and which are also well adapted for screens.
The Black Nut (Corylus Avellana purpurca] is likewise a highly
ornamental tree, from its dark purple foliage, and it partakes of the
character of a shrub when young.
One of the loveliest amongst flowering shrubs, which we profusely
grow, is the Lilac, of which there are two species (Syringa vidgaris,
fig. 969, and 5. persicd) and many varieties. Either
kind would be a useful shrub, even if it had no
flowers, as from the abundance of its fibrous roots
it can be readily moved to any place where a large
shrub is required, and the tree itself may be cut
about as the gardener pleases ; but in addition to
these good qualities, the perfume of lilac is delicate,
and its flower most agreeable : hence we grow many
bushes, and several varieties. In Paris, and especially in the Tuileries
Gardens before the people in their madness destroyed them, the
lilac was trimmed to the form of a standard rose, with a globular
head, and in that shape it was well adapted to formal gardens. Of
the large lilac there are two varieties, lilac and white, and of the
Persian lilac many varieties, differing in the intensity of the colour of
their flowers. The lilac is readily forced. I have frequently had it for
table decoration on Christmas Day, but in Paris it can be obtained in
quantity in the middle of December. Wherever there is sufficient room,
^ lilac blossom should be secured throughout
the winter. For forcing, the plants should
be well established in pots, as they do not
succeed if removed directly from the open
border. Whilst growing they require abun-
dance of water. The flower of the forced
plant is even more deliciously scented than
the plant grown in the open border. FIG 97o.— Mock Orange.
Another fine shrub is the Mock Orange (Philadelplius coronarius, fig.
970). The flower is creamy white, and has a smell like the blossom
SHRUBS. 439
of the orange. It is a great favourite of mine. I have also the
PJiiladclpJius mexicanus, which has charming single white fleshy
flowers. It flowers freely in a pot with me, but I do not as yet know
whether it is hardy. If it is, it will be a truly beautiful species for
outdoor growth.
In early spring the bright red blossoms of the Japan Quince
(Cydonia japonica, fig. 971) are important. The tree does best when
trained against a wall, but we have several bush trees, which give us
their flowers in early spring, and are highly effective.
Another early flowering shrub is the Daphne Mezerium, which
flowers before the leaves appear, but it is not an important plant.
•*» ^TKT- -**t~
FIG. 971. — Japan Quince. FIG. 972.— Red Flowering Currant. FIG. 973. — Berberis dulcis.
Blossoming later than the last, we have the Red Flowering Currant
(Ribes sanguinewn, fig. 972). There are several varieties, which are
useful accompaniments of the wall-flowers. It is an American shrub,
of easy cultivation and hardy, but last spring it received much damage
at my garden from the May and June frosts.
Still later, the Dentzia gracilis gives us an abundance of white
flowers. This shrub, although hardy, is also a valuable plant for green-
house decoration, and many plants should be used, so that one after
another may adorn the conservatory.
For the spring the Berberis is useful. The Berberis dulcis (fig. 973)
has single yellow flowers, delightfully fragrant, which are followed by
black berries reputed to be eatable.
The Mahonia aquifolium is a plant with large dark leaves and
yellow blossom, which should never be absent from any garden.
440
MY GARDEN,
In spring, one of the grandest flowers of my garden is the Guelder
Rose (Viburnum Opulus, van sterile, fig. 9/4)- ^ grows very freely,
and the flowers are larger than I have ever seen elsewhere. When
in blossom, its large white flowers can be seen from one end of the
garden to the other.
For the summer, the Spiraeas are very desirable acquisitions. The
Meadow-sweet (Spiraa Ulmaria] is one of our elegant weeds. The
S. callosa from Japan is like a meadow-sweet with red flowers, and
always delights us with its elegant blossoms. It should be more
frequently grown.
FIG. 974. — Guelder Rose.
FIG. 975. — St. John's Wort.
Towards the end of summer, the St. John's Wort (Hypericum
calycinum, fig. 975) produces large yellow solitary flowers ; and we
have other English hypericums in our alpinery.
There is one shrub, the Eglantine or Sweet Briar (Rosa rubigi-
nosa], which we grow for its triple attractions : firstly for the beauty
of its blossoms -in early spring; secondly for the bright scarlet
berries produced in autumn ; and thirdly for the delicious fragrance
of its leaves, which is plentifully exhaled in its growing state,
especially after a shower of rain.
The Eugenia ugni (fig. 387) will not live out of doors with us,
although, trusting in its reputation for hardihood, I lost at least a
dozen specimens. I do not think that either the Pomegranate or
the Loquat would live out of doors in my garden ; at any rate, I have
not ventured to place them out. I have seen the Loquat growing
on a south wall at Wey bridge, at the garden of Mr. Harrison.
SHRUBS.
441
I have not planted out the Skimmia japouica, although it is quite
hardy; nor the Illicium religiosum, which I have several times pro-
cured, and as often contrived to lose.
However beautiful other flowering shrubs may be, every garden
must possess its beds of American plants, comprising Rhododendrons,
Azaleas, and Kalmias. The garden varieties of Rhododendron
Catawbiense are now very numerous, and fresh ones are continually
being added to the list. The varieties of colour are numerous, but
scarlet and purple predominate. Singularly enough, our peaty soil
appears to be poisonous to them, as they speedily die, though they
naturally live in another kind of peat or
fibrous loam, which we have to obtain from
Mitcham Common or elsewhere. The Scarlet
Rhododendron (fig. 976) and ferns mix
charmingly together, as the harmony of colour
between the scarlet flowers and the green
fronds in early spring is perfect. I have
rhododendrons in each fernery, but it re-
quires Skill tO keep .them alive, SO pernicious FlG- 976.— Scarlet Rhododendron.
is our natural soil to them. The art of the florist is never shown
to greater advantage than in the production of varieties of rhodo-
dendrons, which are superb in the beauty of their form and in
the brilliancy of their colours, whereas the original plant has
flowers of a dingy purplish colour, not very attractive in my
opinion. I have never paid much attention to the names which
florists have assigned to their varieties, but Mr. Veitch has kindly
supplied me with the following list of kinds which he considers of
undeniable excellence, and which he recommends as the finest kinds
in cultivation : —
Blandyanum : reddish crimson.
Brayanum : rosy scarlet.
Concessum : rosy pink.
John Waterer : glowing crimson.
Joseph Whitworth : purple lake.
Michael Waterer : rosy scarlet.
Minnie : bluish white.
Mrs. John Glutton : white.
Ochroleucum : pale yellow, very dwarf.
Grand Arab : brilliant crimson.
Madame Miolan Carvallio : pure white. Hroughtonianum: rosy rod, early flowering.
442
MY GARDEN.
The Alpine rose (R. ferrugineum), which charms travellers so much
in summer during their excursions amongst the Alps, is a rhododendron
of a different species from the R. Catawbiense. It requires peaty soil,
and as its associations are so pleasing I grow it in my alpinery.
The Rhododendron arboreum grows well in greenhouses, but it
occupies so much room that I have never had a plant. The R. Pon-
ticum is a vigorous species on which the finer varieties are usually
grafted.
The Azalea is also a suitable congener with the Rhododendron.
The Yellow Azalea (Azalea Pontica, fig. 977) does pretty well with me,
FIG. 978. — Kalmia latifolia.
FIG. 979. — Andromeda speciosa.
FIG. 977. — Yellow Azalea.
but the varieties of the A. viscosa are specially liable to have their
young shoots and blossoms frozen by the May frosts, and are so tender
as practically to be useless in my garden. The following five are par-
ticularly recommended upon Mr. Veitch's authority: —
Altaclarense : deep yellow.
Julius Caesar : deep scarlet red.
Ne Plus Ultra : bright orange scarlet.
Prince Henry des Pays Bas : deep scarlet.
Viscocephala : sulphury white, finely
scented.
Amongst the rhododendrons and azaleas, a plant of the Allspice
(Calycanthus floridus) should always be placed. The flowers are
deliciously scented.
In the American bed the beautiful Kalmia latifolia (fig. 978)
should also always be planted. It requires a peaty soil, and does not
thrive with me. I have planted at least a dozen plants of them, of
which I do not think that more than one now survives.
SHRUBS.
443
The Periwinkles, or Vincas, are desirable shrubs for shady situations.
The larger variety ( Vinca major] has bright blue flowers ; and the
smaller, whether single or double, or whether having green or varie-
gated leaves, are exceedingly charming in spring.
The Andromeda speciosa (fig. 979) is very elegant when in flower
in the early spring, but I have not yet attempted to grow it.
I have not a plant of the Venetian Sumach (Rhus cotinus, fig. 980).
It is a curious, interesting plant, and grows well at Wandsworth
Common, in the grounds of Mr. P. Rose, from whose beautiful shrub
the annexed wood engraving has been drawn.
FIG. 982. — Myrtus communis.
FIG. 980. — Venetian Sumach.
FIG. 981.— Bog Myrtle.
In the damp places of the garden the aromatic Bog Myrtle (Myrica
Gale,f\g. 981) grows. It abounds in Scotland in the Mosses, and in
Yorkshire they make gale beer of it. The leaves exhale a delicious
perfume, especially when bruised.
The Yuccas always form striking objects for a garden. The Yucca
gloriosa is by far the largest. It has a bad habit of throwing up its
wonderful spike of bell-like flowers so late in autumn that it does not
come into full blossom before the frost destroys it. Nevertheless it
cannot be dispensed with on account of the distinct contrast to all
other plants which it presents.
The Myrtle (Myrtus communis, fig. 982) is a classical plant, which
flourishes in South European countries. According to Herodotus, the
441
MY GARDEN.
Persians made their invocations or prayers wearing- a tiara encircled
generally with . myrtle. And again Herodotus states, that " whilst the
Persians waited for the rising of the sun, they burned on the bridge all
manner of perfumes, and strewed the way with branches of myrtle."
Among the ancients the myrtle was expressive of triumph and joy ;
the hero wore the myrtle as a mark of victory ; the bridegroom on
his bridal day ; and friends presented each other with myrtle gar-
lands in the conviviality of the banquet. So greatly was this shrub
prized, that Venus is said to have been adorned with it when Paris
decided in her favour the prize of beauty, and for that reason it was
deemed odious by Juno and Minerva. At the festival of Bon a Dea at
Rome myrtle was excluded, probably from this reason. The Myrtle
will hardly live near London. It may survive some winters, but is
generally killed by severe frost, so we must content
ourselves with using it for conservatory decoration
or protect it in the greenhouse during winter.
Besides all these trees and shrubs, we erow the
o
common Heather (Calluna vulgar is, fig. 983), one of
the finest of all plants; the Linnaa borealis ; the
Empetrum nigrum, or Crowberry (A) ; the Erica
Jierbacea, which flowers with the snowdrop ; Erica
'Tetralix, or common Heath (c) ; the English and
American Cranberries, the Bilberry (B), the Dogberry (D), the Cloud-
berry, and the Stoneberry ; many of which I have described elsewhere.
" What should I tell you more of it?
There was so many trees yet,
That I should all encombred bee
Ere I had reckoned every tree."— CHAUCER.
CHAPTER XIII.
7V/ /•'. A NIMA L KINGD OM.
" Go, from the creatures thy instructions take :
Learn from the birds what food the thickets yield ;
Learn from the beasts the physic of the field ;
Thy arts of building from the bee receive."- POPE.
THE ANIMALCULES IN THE WATER.
THE water in the river and little streams abounds with animal-
cules : not that they are diffused, as frequently supposed,
throughout the water, for in the clear running part there are compara-
tively speaking none at all ; the living creatures confine themselves
to the edges and bottoms of the stream, or attach themselves to
weeds, sticks, or stones.
The first living creature to be noticed, which exists in considerable
quantities at times in our waters, is the
Amceba (fig. 984), an apparently shapeless
mass. Dr. Moxon, who has particularly
examined many of the animalcules which
dwell in the waters of my garden, remarks
that without muscles the amoeba contracts,
without nerves it feels, without a mouth it
swallows, and with no stomach it digests
its food. The way in which the amoeba encircles its prey, wraps itself
round it, and digests it, is certainly most remarkable ; nevertheless I
think we have too imperfect an acquaintance with the internal structure
of this creature to build up theories as to its nature and organization.
FIG. 984. — Amoebae, magnified.
446
MY GARDEN.
Our brooks also contain more minute creatures, called Monads
(fig. 985). They are chiefly found in stagnant corners in the lesser
streamlets.
We have likewise the Siagontherium tenue (fig. 986) and Bursaria
vernalis (fig. 987), both of which were considered to be polygrastic
animals. Very little is known either of their struc-
ture or natural history, though we may conceal our
FIG. 986.— Siagon-
therium tenue,
magnified.
FIG. 985. — Monads,
magnified.
FIG. 987. — Burs^ria vernalis,
magnified.
ignorance by the use of long and repulsive names.
A very active animalcule called Stylonichia (fig. 988), magnified.
which moves about in all directions, lives in the stagnant parts of our
streams.
Amongst other infusorial animalcules, ^SJP\
we have an interesting creature living
in a kind of pot, which is called the
FIG. 989.— Vaginicola,
magnified.
FIG. 990.— Vorticella,
magnified.
FIG. 991.- — Melicerta ringens,
magnified.
Vaginicola (fig. 989) ; but of all this family
none is more interesting and beautiful
than the Vorticella (fig. 990), which, as
seen under the microscope, comes up like a sky-rocket to seize on
its prey. It lives attached to the leaves of plants in the river.
POL YPI— WORMS. 447
Attached to our water weeds, we have that very beautiful and
interesting species of the Rotatoria, the Melicerta ringens (fig. 991).
Specimens from my garden have been the subject of a very interesting
paper by Dr. Moxon, read before the Linnaean Society. It builds a
case for itself with little bricks of particles of mud. It is a choice
subject for the microscope, and may be watched with interest for hours.
It can be easily kept in a bottle with a piece of water weed, such as
the water ranunculus. Microscopists amuse themselves by giving it
particles of different bright colours with which to construct its house,
and by this plan they obtain a case of many colours.
POLYPI.
No more interesting creatures dwell in my garden than the Polyps,
of which we have two or three species, among them the Hydra viridis,
H. communis (fig. 992), and H. Fusca. The
tentacles of these creatures appear to have
some stinging or poisonous properties, as when
they touch an animalcule it becomes paralysed.
Formerly they were thought to be simply bags,
into which their prey was thrust and then
digested. Now the researches of modern zoolo- FlG' "2" m
gists have shown that polyps have a higher organization, and Dr. A.
Farre's papers read before the Royal Society have contributed to our
knowledge of these interesting creatures.
WORMS.
There are several kinds of worms in my garden, and their quantity
appears to have visibly increased with the cultivation of the soil. The
Earth-worm, Lob-worm, or Dew- worm (Lumbricus terrestris) is found,
but not in such quantities as in the valley of the Thames, where gallons
are collected after rain as bait for barbel. This worm burrows many
feet under ground. It appears to eat vegetable mould, but during
the winter it drags leaves into its holes — for what purpose it is not
easy to tell.
448
MY GARDEN,
When worms get into pots the plants are damaged, and to prevent
this the gardener stands his plants on ashes or on boards. The Earth
or Lob Worm (fig. 993) is
about eight inches in length,
is hermaphrodite (Nos. 2
and 3), and lays eggs (Nos.
4 and 5). At night, after
a fall of rain, it comes to the
surface, but leaves the end of
FIG. 993.— Earth cr Lob Worm. its tail in its hole, aild On
'the slightest noise rapidly withdraws. If a grassplot is examined at
night, by the aid of a lantern, when the worms have come out, it is a
remarkable sight, as the grass is covered with them. By the action
of this creature so much earth is brought to the surface of the ground
as completely to cover chalk laid upon it, after a few years.
The Red Worm (Lumbricus minor) is also found in wet ground
under stones. It is from two to three inches in length, and fish are
particularly fond of it. We have also the Green Worm (Lmnbricns
viridis], which is discarded by the angler, and which 'lives under stones
in the field.
In my garden there is great abundance of the Brandling (Lnmbricus
fcetidus). It is marked alternately red and yellow ; it lives in manure
heaps, and has an unpleasant odour, which clings to the hands after
touching it. It is a favourite bait for perch.
LEECHES.
We have Leeches in our lake. I have not determined the species,
but one kind is possibly the Hirndo piscium.
FRESH-WATER SPONGE.
We have one fine species of Fresh-water Sponge, which grows upon
the wall near the flood-gates, and also on the walls of the mill ; it is
CRUSTACEA.
449
called the Spongilla fluviatilis (fig. 994). It is composed of siliceous
spiculae, in which the animal dwells, and when dry it very much
resembles the sponge we commonly use. It soon dies when removed
from the water.
FIG. 994. — Fresh-water Sponge,
magnified (showing spicuies).
FIG. 995. — Fresh-water Shrimp.
CRUSTACEA.
FIG. 996.— Woodlouse.
The Upper Wandle does not contain the Crayfish (A stacus fluviatilis},
which I have often caught in the New River, Lea River, and Thames,
m the latter of which they abound at and above Oxford. I have
placed many in our river, but they have disappeared, which is another
failure in acclimatization. From this creature the Bisque soup of the
French is made.
One aquatic species of Crustacean is of great value to us, the
Fresh-water Shrimp (Gammarus fallax, fig. 995). It exists literally by
myriads at the bottom of the river under every stone, and affords
abundance of food for the trout, which are very fond of them.
Another Crustacean is terrestrial, and does us much mischief. It
is the Woodlouse (Oniscus asellus, fig. 996), of which there arc
more than one species. It delights to sally forth by night to devour
the delicate parts of the plants in our glass-houses, and it is especially
annoying to notice the injury they do to the roots and young shoots of
our valuable orchids. The gardener traps them by cutting a potato
in half, scooping out a portion, and turning the cavity downwards, when
the creatures collect underneath, and can be taken and destroyed.
Perhaps, however, the best remedy for woodlice is the toad, which
eagerly devours them, and no good gardener is ever without his pet
toads, who thus do him much service.
To return to the water : there are many microscopic species of
crustaceans, such as the Cyclops, which are supposed to afford food for
G G
450
MY GARDEN.
young trout. Belonging to this tribe, we have abundance of the
Cyclops quadricornis (figs. 997 and 998), which are interesting creatures
to watch in an aquarium. We have also the Daphnia Pulcx (fig. 999),
which is common everywhere.
FIG. 997.— Cyclops quadricornis,
magnified.
FIG. 998.— Ditto, side view,
magnified.
FLEAS.
FIG. 999.— Daphnia Pnlex,
magnified.
There are many species of Fleas. One species infests the dog,
another the cat, and most birds have their particular flea ; but of all
the many species it is remarkable that the one which lives upon the
mole, the Pulex talpce, has no eye. The larva of the Pulex irritans,
the bite of which drives some persons almost mad, is propagated by
egg. The larvae of the flea live upon filth or in the nests of birds.
According to Cuvier, in about ten days after birth they spin a silken
shell, and in another ten days emerge in a perfect state. The fleas on
the creatures in our garden might alone constitute a long study.
PARASITES.
The remarkable book of Denny has taught us how
many Parasites there are upon our birds and animals,
and even upon man. Denny has pointed out that the
same species may live upon many birds. I have many
kinds in my collection, and have figured one as an
example, the Parasite of the Ox (fig. 1000) ; but species
may be found on nearly every living creature, and on
some creatures more than one kind.
FIG. looo.— Parasite
of the Ox, mag-
nified.
ENTOZOA.
ENTOZOA.
In considering the creatures inhabiting the garden, the Entozoa
must always be mentioned, as they live one life on vegetation, a second
life in different animals, and a third life in man : therefore, the present
life in the garden may become the future life in our bodies, in the form
either of tapeworms in our intestines, of the Trichinia spiralis in our
muscles, of the Filaria in our eyes, or of the Hydatids in our brain.
There is hardly a creature living in the garden which has not
its entozoa, and therefore I can only allude to the more important,
which are especially interesting to man himself.
Dr. Cobbold, a great authority on entozoa, has pointed out that one
of the tapeworms which infest man, the Tcznia mediocanellata — known
also as the Beef Tapeworm, or Unarmed Tapeworm — is developed from
an egg. This egg (fig. 1001) is passed by man to the grass, where it is
swallowed by the cow. The egg, on passing into the stomach, has
the exterior case dissolved by the gastric juice, when by means of six
piercers it passes to the flesh of the cow, where it grows and lives and
FIG.IOOI. — Eg? of
Beef Tapeworm,
magnified.
FIG. 1002.— Beef Measles, nat. size.
FIG. 1003.— Beef Tapeworm, magnified
constitutes the so-called Measles (fig. 1002) ; a little sac in the flesh or
meat about the size of a hemp-seed, but more irregular in form. In this
sac the creature resides (fig. 1003), but is still immature, and
the flesh has to be eaten by man before it can be fully
perfected, when on passing into the stomach it becomes
the Beef Tapeworm (fig. 1004), having from a thousand
to twelve hundred joints. All the joints beyond 450 are
Tapeworm,
mature, and capable of producing eggs. Each mature joint
has been calculated to produce 45,000 eggs, and from a calculation
made on a joint in my cabinet 30,000 ova at least exist, which shows
the terrible fecundity of this tapeworm pest.
G G 2
452
MY CARD EX.
Another Tapeworm, the Armed Tapeworm (Tcenia solium, fig, 1005),
produces eggs which when devoured by swine give rise to measly pork
(ficr. 1006). When this is eaten by man a perfect tapeworm arises, which
again passes eggs, to be again eaten by swine. If the eggs are taken
into the stomach of man, they give rise to Cysticerci (fig. 1007), or
measles, and if they travel to the brain they may cause fatal results.
The tapeworm of the dog lives in man as the EcJdnococcus, or
Hydatid tapeworm (fig. 1008). All the figures are from Cobbold.
FIG. 1005. — Head
of Taenia solium,
magnified.
FIG. 1006. — Pork Measles, nat. size.
aat the cysts ; bb, tapeworm
larvse.
FIG. 1008.— Hydatid
Tapeworm, mag-
nified.
FIG. 1007. — Cysticercus cellulosus,
magnified.
The curious story of the tapeworms teaches us to eschew badly
cooked meat, and also to be careful that our animals do not eat the
eggs of the future tapeworms with their vegetal food. Dr. Cobbold
has pointed out the danger of allowing cattle to graze on sewage
grounds, where the eggs of tapeworms must of necessity be distributed.
I believe myself, from all I can learn (though up to this day I have
been unable to verify the fact as a matter of legal evidence), that
many beasts, and most sheep, become diseased on the sewage-grounds.
Nevertheless I hear that one ox was fed upon
the produce of the Romford sewage-grounds,
and when killed was found healthy. Upon
our present information we ought to beware
of sewage-fed cattle, if we desire to avoid
future tapeworms.
The outside life of many of the entozoa
is unknown : that of the Threadworm is of
FIG. IOOQ. — Hairworm. .1 • i
this class.
In all our streams we have a curious worm, called the Gordius
ENTOZOA. 453
aquaticus (fig. 1009), or Hairworm. It lays eggs, which are supposed
to be devoured by insects and developed in their bodies.
It is impossible to describe all the entozoa which live in the nume-
rous creatures inhabiting my garden, and still more so to describe the
different states in which these creatures live, with their wanderings.
MITES.
We have numerous species of Mites in my garden, of which I have
many specimens in my microscopic cabinets. The Acarus domesticus
lives upon cheese, and the Tyroglyphus farince
(fig. 1010) upon flour. One species is parasitic
on man in a diseased state, namely the Sar-
coptcs Scabici, both of which I have seen in the
hospitals in London and in Paris. There are
many species which live upon animals ; such as
the Mouse Mite (Myobia musculinus) on the
mouse; others upon birds, as the Sparrow
FIG. 1010. — Tyroglyphus farinae,
Mite. Some mites live upon other insects :
we constantly see one species of mite, the Gamasus coleoptratorum,
upon the great dor beetle: and in our streams there are many kinds
of mites. One species is terribly destructive to our cabinet insects,
namely the Tyroglyphus destructor.
PLANT MITES, OR RED SPIDERS.
Plant mites are a most terrible pest to the horticulturist. Although
so small, they come in vast armies and spin a thread on the under
surface of the leaves of plants, where they live and suck their juices.
After a time the leaves perish, the plant is injured, and ultimately dies.
The conditions generally favourable to the increase of these pests, are
dryness of the atmosphere with scorching suns. In our plant-houses
we generally keep down the mites by ensuring a humid atmosphere, but
in July it is difficult with us to grow melons in our district, on account
of the number of these creatures which take possession of our frames.
454
MY GARDEN.
Of late years I have used with good success open pans of water to
evaporate and moisten the air, and by gently syringing the frame with
warm water before closing it for the night, water is also supplied to
the air. Plants cannot be cultivated if plant mites are not destroyed.
The different species of mite demand the attention of naturalists.
Not only do they attack the plants in our glass-houses, but I have
seen an extensive plantation of gooseberry-trees belonging to a market
gardener at Fulham attacked by them, and the last year or two the
plants of the British Queen strawberry have been destroyed at my
garden by a visitation of plant mites. The common Red Spider
is called Gamasus telarius (fig. 1011).
One acarus delights to live amongst microscopic fungi, and under
the microscope looks like a rhinoceros trotting about in a jungle.
FIG. ion. — Red Spider,
magnified.
FIG. 1012. — Harvest Bug, magnified.
Koch has published a work upon these creatures, with a vast number
of illustrations, but very few persons in this country are acquainted
with the specific differences of the plant acari.
Kiikenmeister considers the Harvest Bug (Lepttis autumualis, fig.
1012) to be one of the grass mites. He states that it lives in dry
grass, in corn, and upon the gooseberry bushes, and also upon man in
July and the beginning of August. It is very troublesome to reapers.
I have not myself verified the species, but have engraved the figure
from Kiikenmeister. On my own gooseberry-bushes the acari have not
appeared, or at any rate have never been observed, although the trees
have been examined for that purpose.
SPIDERS. 455
SPIDERS.
Bakewell, in his valuable work on Spiders, has taught us how
numerous are the British spiders.
" The spider spreads her webs, whether she be
In poet's tower, cellar, or barn, or tree." — SHELLEY.
The common Garden Spider (Epeira diadema, fig. 1013) delights us
with the perfect geometric web which it constructs.
It does a limited amount of good by destroying
flies, but not to such an extent as to be really im-
portant. In our glass-houses we have a consider-
able number of the Angelina labyrintJieca, which
1 i r i_ ic. \ FIG. 1013. — Garden Spider.
constructs a large sheet of web (fig. 1014), at one enlarged.
corner of which it makes a circular den ; into this it retires and
watches for its victim, upon which it pounces, carrying it to the den
to be devoured. It looks altogether a most infernal apparatus.
A*
«
FIG. 1014.— Web of Angelina labyrintheca.
In the spring we often see the Red Spider, which attracts our
attention from the brightness of its colours ; and also Hunting Spiders,
which are remarkable for their extreme activity.
We sometimes see the Gossamer at Wallington, but not to be
compared with the quantity which may be observed on the Continent
in the autumn.
" Slow through the air
Gossamer floats, or stretch'd from blade to blade
The wavy network whitens all the field."— GILBERT WHITE. -
All spiders are useful to the gardener, but certainly could not of
themselves entirely protect the garden from the ravages of insects.
456
MY GARDEN.
/^— ^ /T2*
FIG. 1015. — Centipedes.
CENTIPEDES AND MILLIPEDES,
We often notice Centipedes and Millipedes, especially about our
potatoes and carrots. We have the Thirty-foot Centipede (Lithobius
forficatus, fig. 1015, No. 2),
which has a large head (fig.
1015, No. 3) and a powerful
pair of jaws ; but I do not
remember to have ever seen
at my garden the Luminous
Centipede (Geophilus longicor-
nis, fig. 1015, No. i), which is
remarkable at certain times for leaving a train of fire in its track. I
have seen this phenomenon in London and in its vicinity, and have
caught the creature surrounded by its fire.
Many Millipedes abound in the garden, but I have not identi-
fied all of them. I have borrowed the picture from Curtis ; it shows
species which we may expect
to find. No. I, fig. 1016, re-
presents Julus Londinensis ;
it has about 1 60 legs. Nos.
2 and 3 represent Blaniulus
guttatus, which has about 1 70
legs, aiad is about half an
inch long. No. 4 represents FIG. 1016.— Millipedes.
Julus terrcstris, or Earth Snake Millipede, No. 5 showing its an-
tenna magnified. Nos. 6 and 7 show the Polydesmus complanatus, or
Flattened Millipede. I am by no means certain as to the functions
these creatures perform in the general scheme of nature, although we
see so many of them in the garden. Boisduval states that L. forficatus
is a friend to the gardener, but further study is required to make
ourselves acquainted with the natural history of these creatures.
Koch has given figures of numerous species.
THE GARDEN INSECTS. 457
THE GARDEN INSECTS.
" Heat and cold, and wind and steam,
Moisture and drought, mice, worms, and swarming flies
Minute as dust, and numberless, oft work
Dire disappointment, that admits no cure,
And which no care can obviate."— COWPER.
However perfect a garden a horticulturist may have; however well
stocked it may be with the most delicious fruits, with the most beautiful
flowers, and with the choicest vegetals ; however judicious may be the
arrangements of his greenhouses and of his horticultural appliances; yet
if the gardener be not acquainted with the habits of the insects which
dwell therein, and if he does not know what to protect and what to
destroy, his labour will frequently be lost, and he will be unable to
assign any reason for his failure.
Many a time have I seen a crop of melons and cucumbers destroyed
by aphides feeding unobserved on the under surface of the leaves ; many
a time have I seen crops destroyed by red spiders, and as often have
I known the coccus, when unrestrained, to kill plants.
Sometimes the grub of the cockchafer or of the wireworm has been
the offender in killing a plant by eating the roots. Sometimes larval
grubs live between the two layers of the leaf, others eat its soft parts,
and at other times greedy caterpillars devour the entire plant in a
succulent state.
Again, large trees are destroyed by the formidable caterpillar of
the goat moth, which perforates their trunks in all directions ; and
the larvae of beetles inflict great damage by devouring the new-
forming wood.
As a rule, gardeners do not grapple with insect pests sufficiently
early, and the master should be quick to detect insect ravages and bring
them under the notice of his gardener, so that he may adopt whatever
measures may be practicable to prevent mischief.
Above all, both master and gardener should know what to destroy
and what to preserve ; for lady-birds, the most useful of all insects, have
been killed as noxious, and ichneumons, the caterpillar-destroying help-
458 MY GARDEN.
mates of the gardener, have frequently been destroyed upon the erro-
neous supposition that they were hurtful.
The number of kinds of insects which visit my garden is so vast
that it would be impossible to describe them, even if they were all
correctly named and classified by the scientific entomologist ; but as
all the insects of Great Britain are not up to the present time so
arranged, the gardener must content himself with obtaining a general
knowledge of the chief groups, distinguishing between those which are
useful, detrimental, or ornamental.
" By myriads, forth at once,
Swarming they pour ; of all the varied hues
Their beauty-beaming parent can disclose.
Ten thousand forms ! ten thousand different tribes !
People the blaze." — THOMSON'S Seasons.
HYMENOPTERA.
The first great class of insects to which I must call attention is the
Hymenoptera, or Membranous-winged insects, such as bees, wasps,
and ichneumons. The perfect insect has four veined wings for flight, it
has jaws at the mouth, and at the tail either a piercer or a sting. The
larvae of some species resemble maggots, as those of the wasp ; the
larvae of others resemble caterpillars, as those of the saw-flies.
This class comprises some of the most useful, as well as some of
the most destructive insects which dwell in the garden. The most
important insect in my garden is probably the Honey
Bee (Apis mellifica, fig. 1017), which is directly useful
to the horticulturist in setting the flowers by bringing
the pollen of the pistils in contact with the stamens.
No one who values a crop of fruit ought to be without
r IG. 1017. — Working * O
his bees, which should be regarded as a necessary part
of his establishment, and kept for the express purpose of setting his
flowers, without any ulterior motive as to their production of honey.
I always keep three or four hives for this purpose alone. The honey
made by our bees tastes so strongly of lavender and peppermint
as to impart to it the flavour of physic.
HYMEKOPTERA.
459
De Candolle found that Narbonne honey owes its peculiar flavour to
the fact that the bees feed upon rosemary flowers. Bees are particularly
fond of alpine flowers, and delight to visit the sedums. Heather also
yields much honey to bees, and beekeepers in Yorkshire carry their
hives in a waggon to the moors when the heather blossoms, and return
with them to their residence when it is out of flower.
The hum of bees is exciting to the nervous system of some persons.
Gilbert White describes a boy who was a very Maerops Apiaster. I
have known such a case, in a gentleman who is now an officer in the
army and passionately fond of music, who when a child was always in
search of bees, and generally had some in paper boxes in his pocket.
It is not a fitting place to consider the economy of a bee-hive, or
we should be led, with Shakspeare, to say : —
" So work the honey bees :
Creatures that by a rule of nature teach
The art of order to a peopled kingdom."
SHAKSPEARE, Henry IV.
At my garden the working bees (fig. 1017) kill the drones about the
third week in August, when the ground around the hives is literally
covered with their dead bodies.
The Humble-bees (Bombyx terrestris, No. I ; Bombyx luconnn, No. 4,
fig. 1018) are of service to us,
and it is interesting to observe
them open the valve of the
flower of the snapdragon and
enter therein. Curtis states
that these bees damage the
flower by piercing it instead of
entering at its mouth. Al-
though we have abundance of
snapdragons and numerous
humble-bees, this observation has not been verified in my garden.
In our neighbourhood there are many solitary bees, which make
holes in a sand-bank, in which they deposit their young.
FIG. 1018.— Humble-bees.
460
MY GARDEN.
The Common Wasp (Vespa vulgare, fig. 1019, tf) constantly has its
nest in our garden. In the year 1869 some epidemic disease appeared
to attack them, which greatly reduced their numbers. Wasps are upon
the whole very destructive in gardens, as they eat the thin-skinned
apples, the finer pears, and the wall fruit, together with the plums
and grapes. They are
besides annoying and
spiteful, as I have been
deliberately stung by a
/ / v V wasp without the least
FIG. 1019. — a, Common Wasp ; d, e,f, sting of ditto, b, Gnat ;
c, mouth of ditto.
provocation upon my
part : for these reasons
we destroy wasps by
catching the large fe-
males, which appear in
early spring. When the
nests are discovered, in
July and August, they are usuajly destroyed by making a squib of
sulphur and gunpowder, which is introduced into the entrance of the
nests ; after which the nest, which is then full of grubs, may be
dug out, and the grubs given to the poultry or be used as bait for
fish. Tar poured into the entrance-hole is destructive to a whole
colony, as no wasp can enter or emerge without being caught by this
substance. Wasps may also be trapped by placing sugar and water in
a bottle ; being attracted by the sugar, they enter the bottle, but can-
not escape from it. W'asps may be poisoned by arsenic and sugar,
but pets are liable to be killed as well as wasps, and therefore this
poison had better be avoided. Wasps are not altogether an unmitigated
evil in a garden, as they act as scavengers to remove decaying animal
matter, and they also destroy aphides. The nest of the wasp is very
curious, being constructed of paper made by the creatures frorp the
fibre of trees. It consists of a series of horizontal groups of hexagonal
paper cells, arranged in tiers one cell thick, with the mouth down-
wards and one tier above another. The nest of the wasp therefore
HYMENOPTERA. 461
forms a striking contrast with that of the honey bee, which is made
of wax instead of paper, and the cells of which are arranged verti-
cally in tiers two cells thick.
Dr. Ormerod takes a great delight in wasps, which have been his
companions for many years. I have copied
one of his figures of the common wasp's
nest (fig. 1020), in preference to giving a
figure from one of the specimens in my
own collection. The late Dr. Henslow, the
learned Professor of Botany at Cambridge,
also delighted in the observation of these
creatures, and forwarded many remarkable
specimens to the Kew Museum. r,a xo~^w«p', N«t
Wasps, like all other hymenopterous insects, sting with an apparatus
placed at the tail (fig. 1019, d, e, /), while two-winged insects bite
with an apparatus situated at the mouth (fig. 1019, c). When any
person is stung by a wasp, we at once apply a drop or two of harts-
horn ; this is an infallible remedy, which immediately does its work.
For this reason no gardener should be without a bottle of ammonia,
or, as it is popularly called, hartshorn, during the fruit season.
Ammonia is equally effective if applied immediately to the stings of
bees, or to the bites of adders. Wasps sometimes attack the bee-
hives, which has been noticed by Shakspeare: —
" Injurious wasps ! to feed on such sweet honey,
And kill the bees, that yield it, with your stings."
Hornets visit my garden, but I do not know where their nest is
situated. They construct their nests in horizontal tiers, like wasps, and
generally in the holes of trees. Hornets are larger, heavier, and more
sluggish than wasps, and not so spiteful. On one occasion we had a
hornet's nest in the eaves of a house in which we lived, but not a single
inmate was stung ; on another occasion a nest existed opposite the
front door ; and Dr. Ormerod mentions the case of a countrywoman
who patronized hornets because they rid her room of flies, whilst she
was confined to bed. The presence of a hornet in a room may always be
462
MY GARDEN.
known, and we often discover one even in the centre of London, by the
tone of the buzz, which is much deeper than that of the common wasp.
The nest I have figured (fig. 1021) is taken from my work entitled
" Instinct and Reason," and the original nest belongs to the British
Museum. Entomologists call the Hornet Vespa crabro.
After bees, which are so directly beneficial to vegetation, and after
wasps, which are more or less injurious, we have among the Hymeno-
ptera the whole tribe of Ichneumons. These flies, are indirectly of
great utility to the gardener, by destroying noxious insects. Some of
:T
FIG. 1022.— Aphis rapae
(magnified 10 diam.).
FIG. 1021. — Wasp's Nest (British Museum).
FIG. 1023. — Colax dispar
(magnified 10 uiam ).
them are large (fig. 1064, No. 5), and deposit their eggs in the
largest caterpillars, while others are so minute that they can deposit
their ova in the smallest aphides, as the Aphis rapcz (fig. 1022).
In both cases the egg hatches, and the creature in which the
egg is deposited is gradually eaten up, and instead of changing
into a winged creature forms a case from which issues a perfect
ichneumon fly.
Again, there arc some species which deposit their egg in the larvae
of the ichneumons, which are preying upon a third creature ; a truly
HYMENOPTERA.
curious phenomenon of nature. This parasite upon parasite is exem-
plified by the Colax dispar (fig. 1023).
It is impossible to overrate the importance of the great family of
Ichneumonidoe to the horticulturist. These winged insects deposit
their eggs, some in the caterpillar, others in the chrysalis. They then
turn into grubs, and devour the creatures in which they live, and thus
are good friends to the gardener by destroying his foes.
In my work on the Potato plant I have mentioned that there
is a set of hymenopterous insects which
seize upon aphides and carry them off to
their habitation to feed their own young
ones. The Pemphredon unicolor (fig. 1024)
is an example of this tribe. •
. The Saw-flies constitute another group
of hymenopterous insects injurious to the
garden. Their larvae resemble caterpillars, and destroy the leaves of
many plants. The larvae of Horn Tails bore the trunks of timber
trees. At my garden for several years, and especially in 1871,
we have been much troubled with the Rose Saw-fly (Hylotoma rosce,
fig. 1025). It devours the leaf of the rose-tree, leaving one mem-
FIG. 1024. — Pemphredon unicolor
(magnified 3 diam.).
FIG. 1025.— Rose-leaf and Larva of Rose Saw-fly.
FIG. 1026. — Tenthredo rosarum, magnified.
brane of the leaf only. It appears in such quantities in some
parts of the garden that every leaf on many trees was utterly de-
stroyed at midsummer. The Tenthredo rosarum (fig. 1026) is also
represented by Boisduval to be very destructive to the rose.
The larva of the genus Sirex, 5. jmwicus, has powerful mandibles,
464
MY GARDEN.
by which it can pierce the trunks of pine-trees, and it has been
known to gnaw through leaden bullets. I have not seen it in my
garden, though in other places
it has been known to be
highly destructive. The figure
is from the excellent book of
Kolliker, translated by West-
wood, and represents S. gigas
(fig. 1027).
Gall-insects are another ex-
tensive section of the Hymen-
optera. The species which
develops the nutgall (fig. 1028),
which is used in the manufac-
ture of writing ink, has within the last fifteen years spread throughout
England, and exists .in my garden, especially in the lower branches of
the oak, or on the low oak bushes. The oak-apple carried by some
good people on King Charles's Day (the 29th of May) is caused by the
larvae of another hymenopterous gall-insect ; whilst the mossy ex-
FIG. 1027. — Sirex gigas.
FIG. 1028.— Gall on Oak.
FIG. I02Q. — Redbreast's Pincushion.
crescence on the rose (fig. 1029) is another example of the effects of
this section of hymenopterous insects. All these excrescences are
detrimental to the plant on which they live, and should be imme-
diately removed.
Ants exist in my garden, but they do us little or no harm, although
they sometimes locate themselves- in our glass-houses. There are species,
HYMENOPTERA.
465
and especially a black one, which are constant attendants upon
aphides, and feed upon the sugar which they excrete. Wherever ants
run over a plant, there aphides or cocci exist. The
Black Ant (fig. 1030) is so easily seen, and so
readily guides us to a knowledge of the existence of
aphides, that in familiar language I always call it my " aphis pointer,"
and no gardener should ever neglect the warning of the busy little
black ant.
FIG. 1030. — Black Ant,
nat. s:ze and magnified.
BEETLES, OR COLEOPTERA.
In the division of insects, the second great class are the Coleoptera,
or Beetles, some of which are useful, whilst others are highly detri-
mental and destructive to vegetation. Coleopterous insects have two
thick horny coverings to the two filmy wings, which are folded. The
larvae of beetles are grubs having six tiny legs, of which a meal-
worm or wire-worm may serve as an example ; these come from eggs,
hatch to larvae, which change to pupae, and they in their turn are
transformed into the perfect creature.
The largest beetle we have in England is the Stag Beetle (Lucamis
cervus]. It is common in my garden. Once, when some were wanted
for a comparative anatomist, a
reward of twopence a head was
offered for them, but they were
delivered in such quantities that
it was very soon found neces-
sary to withdraw the reward.
The larvae feed on wood in a
state of incipient decay, and
certainly they may be regarded
as more ornamental than useful
as they fly across the garden
in a summer's evening.
One of the most destructive insects to a garden, both in the larval
and perfect state, is the Cockchafer (Qfclohmtha vnlgaris, fig. 1031). In
ir H
FIG. 1031.— Cockchafer : a, eggs ; b, c, d, larvae ;
e, perfect beetle.
466
MY, GARDEN.
the grub state it eats the roots, and in the winged or perfect state it
devours the leaves of plants, so that, when plentiful, what the grub
leaves the cockchafer devours. This creature sometimes appears in
such numbers as to constitute a plague, destroying all vegetation before
it. I have myself seen the roots of grass so destroyed by the grub
that the turf could have been rolled up ; and Kirby and Spence have
recorded extraordinary instances of its voracity. It is supposed to be
five years in the ground before it assumes the perfect form.
Like the common cockchafer, the small June Bug (Phylapentha
Jiorticula) is common in my garden, and often very destructive.
The Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata, fig. 1032) is of so brilliant a
colour that really I do not think the garden perfect without a display
of its lovely colours shining
in the rose-bushes. Neverthe-
less they are bad gardeners;
and although I tolerate them
in small quantities, yet they
are similar to cockchafers in
their destructive propensities.
No. I shows the perfect in-
sect ; No. 2 the grub, which
resembles that of the cock-
chafer ; No. 3 the cocoon ; and No. 4 the pupa.
We have also the Dung Beetle (Gcotrapes stcrcorarins\ but, as I
have observed elsewhere, not in large quantities. These beetles are of
limited use as scavengers in burying the dung. They are constantly
infected with a species of acarus.
"To hear. the drowsy dorr come brushing by
With buzzing wing." — WHITE.
I have never noticed the Glow-worm (Lampyris noctihicd] in my
garden, though in some years we frequently see it on Mitcham Common
as we return in the evening to London. The light of this interesting
creature is emitted from the two last segments of the tail. Glow-worms
may be kept in a tumbler with a root of grass, for observation, and
FIG. 1032. — Rose Chafer.
BEETLES, OR COLEOPTERA.
467
should be covered with a bit of gauze : the creatures climb up the grass
at night, and exhibit their light.
" The glow-worm shows the matin to he near,
And 'gins to pale his ineffectual fire." — SHAKSPEARE, Hamlet.
" The chilling night-dews fall : away ! retire !
For, see, the glow-worm lights her amorous fire." — WHITE.
A tribe of beetles called Weevils, which comprise a large number of
species, are detrimental to the gardener. The larvae are fleshy grubs
without legs, and the beetles themselves have a long snout. One
species, Balanimis nucuin (fig. 1033), ^s *n some years so numerous that
every nut is destroyed. The egg is deposited in the young nut, when
the grub eats up the kernel, and then bores a hole through the shell
to escape ; it hides itself throughout the winter, and emerges the
next year as a perfect beetle. The figure shows the perfect beetle,
and the grub eating its way through the shell.
FIG. 1034. — Bruchus
pisi.
FIG. 1035.— Scolytus destructor.
FIG. 1033. — Balaninus nucum.
Another species of weevil, the BrucJius pisi (fig. 1034, a\ destroys
our peas. The larva (b) lives in the seed, and in some years seed
peas (c) injured by it may be often seen in the shops.
The Otiorhynchus snlcatus is a common beetle, which has done much
damage to ferns at the South Kensington Museum, and the O. picipes is
said much to damage young trees.
Another genus of weevils, the Scolytus, is perhaps the most
destructive of all beetles. The large elms for miles around London
have been destroyed by the Scolytus dcstructcr, the larvae of which
H II 2
468
MY GARDEN.
I
(fig. 1035) live in countless multitudes upon the cambium under the
outer bark.
The Anthonomus pomorum (fig. 1036) is another beetle
which has a great influence upon the produce of the
apple-trees. Its larvae devour the pistils, stamens, and
ovaries of the flowers in the month of May, and there FIG. 1036.—
nomus pomorum.
are very few gardens where this pest is not found.
I have smelt the Musk Beetle (Aronia moschata), the fragrant scent
of which has been likened to a mixture of musk and attar of roses ;
but I have never seen a specimen in my garden. Some years ago,
in the course of a single afternoon, I saw hundreds of musk beetles
sunning themselves on the trunks of the willows growing on the
side of the old Croydon canal, upon the site of which the railroad
now runs.
My garden has been much infested with Wire-worms, the larvae of
various species of the Elateridae. They especially frequent grass
meadows, and as my garden was originally a grass meadow, I have been
proportionally tormented by them. The larvae are supposed to live
five years underground before they assume the beetle form, and during
the whole of that time they
devour the roots of plants.
Rooks are their great natural
destroyers. I have found
upwards of a hundred of
these beetles in the crop of
a rook shot in the early
morning, before five o'clock.
The gardener may trap them
by placing slices of potato
FIG. 1037.— Wire-worm.
in the ground, round which they will congregate, and from which they
may be taken and destroyed. Wire-worms are some of the very worst
pests which the gardener has to extirpate. There are many species,
but all are alike in the injury which they inflict upon the gardener.
This extremely 'destructive creature is allied in its general charac-
BEETLES, OR COLEOPTERA.
469
teristics to the fire beetle of the tropics, which carries its two beau-
tiful and curious lights in its thorax.
My figure is again taken, with the kind permission of Messrs. Blackie,
from the great work of Curtis, "On Insects injurious to the Farmer."
Fig. 1037, Nos. 7, 8, and 9, shows the wire-worm ; the cylindrical form
being a striking characteristic. They are stated to live in this con-
dition for five years; they then assume the pupa form (No. 10), and
Nos. 2, 3, and 6 show them, magnified, in the perfect state.
The Asparagus Beetle (Crioceris asparagi) is an example of a nume-
rous genus, which sometimes is very injurious to the asparagus plants.
All gardens, and mine consequently included, are infested with a
beetle minute in size, but of great importance on account of the
damage which it effects. In common language it is called the Turnip
Fly, or Turnip Flea (fig. 1038), but by the scientific entomologist it
is designated as the Altica
nemorum. The eggs (Nos. 4
and 5) are small ; the maggots
(Nos. 8 and 9) burrow in the
leaf (No. 7) ; the cuticle then
withers and dies (No. 6), and
in about six days the maggots
turn into chrysalises (Nos. 10
and n, magnified), which in
about two weeks change into
minute beetles (No. I, magnified), of the size represented (Nos. 2 and 3).
The perfect insect, although so minute, is remarkable for its power
of jumping at least eighteen inches. The turnip fly is so terribly
destructive that, according to Curtis, the damage it did to the
turnip crop in one year, in Devonshire alone, was estimated at
ioo,ooo/. In the garden many a crop of turnips, cabbages, cauli-
flowers, and other allied plants, is totally destroyed in the seed-bed.
No certain mode of destroying this insect is yet known, but inactivity
of the plants certainly leads to their injury, and a rapid growth as
surely promotes their safety ; hence it is of the utmost importance
FIG. 1038.— Turnip Fly.
470
MY GARDEN.
for the horticulturist to sow his seeds at a period of the year when vege-
tation is active. I have not myself watched these creatures minutely.
The Rove Beetles are very numerous, but are extremely repulsive
to most persons, and are also excessively ferocious. They are, however,
good friends to the gardener, as they devour earwigs and other
creatures. The one figured is the Staphy Units (Ocypus} olens (fig. 1039),
which is commonly called the Devil's Coach-horse. Curtis says that the
larvae (No. i) are as ferocious as the beetle (No. 2), and feed entirely
upon animal substances. There are no less than seven hundred British
species ; but the gardener who is thoroughly in earnest in mastering
horticulture cannot afford the time necessary to make himself specially
acquainted with each kind of beetle.
FIG. 1039.— Devil's Coach-horse : i, larva ; 2, beetle ;
3, head magnified.
FIG. 1040. — Lady-bird.
One of the benevolent beetles which do us much service is that
called the Lady-bird (fig. 1040) or the Bete a la Vierge (Coccincllida).
There are many species of them ; some having from two to twenty-two
spots on their wing-cases. Both larvae (No. i) and winged beetles (Nos. 2
and 3) live upon aphides, and devour vast quantities of them. In seasons
when the lady-birds increase in greater ratio than the aphides, as was
the case in 1869, they devour all before them, and then migrate in vast
armies to other parts. This is the origin of those great visitations of
lady-birds which periodically occur. Whenever we meet with a lady-bird
we place it in one of our glass-houses, and consider it a highly valuable
ally ; the rapidity with which it can clear plants of aphides is truly
remarkable. Lady-birds in early spring are much prized by me.
The water in my garden contains a great many Water Beetles.
BEETLES, OR COLEOPTERA. 471
The Dytiscus marginalis, a great water beetle which abounds in ponds,
does not appear to live in our river ; at any rate I have never seen
it. The small water beetles are exceedingly numerous, and six or
more of them may sometimes be found on a single stone under water
in my Central brook, and many more may be descried on a piece
of wood in the river. I believe that they are of no importance
to the gardener.
ORTHOPTERA.
The Third order of insects are the Orthoptera, which comprise the
Cockroaches, Crickets, and Grasshoppers. They have jaws, two opaque
upper wings, and two larger thin wings. The larva, like that of the
ordinary cockroach, has no wings. All these creatures are injurious to
vegetation.
The Cockroach (Blatta orientalis, fig. 1041) is a tropical insect, and
loves the tropical temperature of our orchard-houses and cucumber-
houses. We generally see
this creature in the larva
state, but really, when it has
complete wings, it is far
from being so ugly a crea-
ture as it is generally con-
sidered tO be. It hides FIG. 1041. --Cockroach.
itself by day, and prowls about by night to devour what it can
For the delicate shoots and fresh roots of orchids it has a particular
fancy. These creatures may be poisoned by a mixture of red lead,
treacle, and meal, or they may be trapped ; but toads are their great
destroyers, and therefore they should always be kept where cock-
roaches abound.
There is an extraordinary creature called the Mole Cricket (Gryllo-
talpa vulgaris), which is common in Hampshire. It has a powerful
pair of fore-legs, formed like those of a mole, by means of which
it burrows underground. A single specimen was this year found by
the station-master at Hackbridge near my garden.
472
MY GARDEN.
Our plant-houses are frequently visited by the Cricket, which
sings us a cheerful tune in its own peculiar way, that is both
exciting and pleasing to the mind. The horticulturist is irritated
by the noise, as he knows full well that Mr. Cricket sups after
his song, and perhaps selects the tenderest part of the choicest
plant. Crickets on the hearth may be joyous enough, but crickets
in the plant-houses are creatures of woe to the gardener. They
may be poisoned like cockroaches, and, like them, they are also
devoured by toads.
" And crickets sing at th' oven's mouth
A's the blither for their drouth." — SHAKSPEARE, Pericles.
Crickets like the warmest part of the plant-house, just as they frequent
the crannies about the stove in the kitchen.
Out of doors Grasshoppers, of which there are perhaps twenty
species, are destructive to the farmer. They are allied to the locust,
and are equally destructive. In my garden we have but few.
^ The Earwig (Forficula auricularis, fig. 1042) is
another creature which is hurtful in gardens. They
hide during the day, and come forth at night to
feed upon fruit or the tender parts of flowers.
FIG. 1042.— Earwig. They may be trapped by providing a dark hole,
such as a scooped-out potato, in which they seek to hide during
the day.
HEMIPTERA.
The Fourth order of insects, the Hemiptera, is divided by some
authors into Hemiptera and Homoptera, and comprises the Plant-lice
and the Mealy Bugs. They have a horny beak for suction, and the
perfect insect has four beautiful wings. The larva is like the perfect
insect, except that it has no wings. The whole order is the terror of
the gardener, as they live by sucking the juices of his plants, and
much of his success will depend upon the promptness and vigilance
with which he extirpates these pests
Ls.
HEMIPTERA.
473
The Lygus solani (fig. 1043, Nos. 2 and 3 magnified, No. I nat. size)
lives on the potato leaf; and the Lygus umbcllatarum (fig. 1043, Nos. 4
and 5 natural size, and No. 6 magnified) lives in great quantities on
the Umbellatae.
The Pentatoma oleaceum (fig. 1044) is another plant-destroying
insect, which is often noticed on vegetals.
FIG. 1044. —Pentatoma
oleaceum.
FIG. 1043. — Lygus solani and Lygus umbellatarum.
The family of Aphides are injurious to the gardener. Some live
upon the leaves of plants, and suck their juices. Other kinds, as the
Oak Aphis, live on the trunks of trees, v/hich they pierce, and suck
their juices. Some live upon the tops of young shoots, as the Rose
Aphis ; and others feed underground, and suck the roots of plants,
as one species which infests the lettuce. When aphides attack a plant,
it generally has a tendency to rot at the roots, and I have even known a
large willow-tree to die down and rot after a severe attack by aphides.
Gardeners are generally too tardy in the destruction of these creatures ;
the instant they appear they should be killed with tobacco smoke.
Melon and cucumber plants frequently perish from the attacks of
these creatures, as they remain unnoticed on the under surface of the
leaves.
The aphis exists in three states, — the larva, the pupa, and the winged
or perfect insect. It multiplies with extreme rapidity, and in the
winged state frequently appears in vast clouds, filling the air and
settling upon every object. Eggs are laid at the end of the year by
some species, and I have hatched eggs experimentally in warm houses,
to be sure that they were the eggs of aphides. It is a remarkable fact
MY GARDEN.
that the females propagate to an unknown extent without impregna-
tion ; and although I have kept myriads of the Aphis vastator for
observation, I have never seen either an egg or a male. We are in
the habit of looking to astronomy for numbers beyond the capacity of
man to realize, but the multiplication of aphides affords a more
astounding illustration. A single aphis produces about ten every ten
days, and these again give birth to ten ; therefore to represent the
number of the progeny of one of these creatures for the space of
one year, thirty-six figures placed in a row would be required. As
the distance in miles between the earth and the sun is represented by
only ten figures, and as seventeen figures would represent the number
of aphides required to form a line between the same bodies, we may
form a kind of indefinite vision of the immensity of the power of mul-
tiplication possessed by aphides, and have a dim idea of the rapid
manner in which they can cover vegetation when they appear.
FIG. 1045. — Aphis vastator, highly magnified.
I have in my cabinet about 150 species, and I have traced a single
species over sixty plants. Koch has given in his work 396 figures,
and Boisduval has noticed 163 species. Nevertheless there is con-
siderable confusion about many of the names. The one which I
named A. vastator was called by Curtis A. rapes, and both Mr. Curtis
and myself considered that it was the same species. By some
learned entomologists it was called, but I think wrongly, A. nimicis,
and now some consider that it is A. diantki. I have figured a drawing
of one of my own specimens from the "Year-book of Facts" of 1850
HEMIPTERA.
475
(fig. 1045), A. dianthi in the larva state from a drawing kindly
made for me by Mr. Buckto'n (fig. 1046), and the A. rapes of Curtis
(fig. 1047 : No. 5 the winged insect, No. 7 the larva, and No. 8 natural
FIG. 1046. — Aphis dianthi, magnified.
FIG. 1047.— A. rapae and A. floris rapse (Curtis).
size). I have also figured from Curtis the A. floris rapes (fig. 1047:
No. I the winged insect, No. 3 the larva, No. 4 natural size). The
A. vastator attacks a large number of plants, and is one of the
most destructive pests which can annoy the
gardener. It lives upon the under side of
the leaves of plants, and I have counted a
hundred insects on a leaflet of the potato plant
(fig. 1048).
The Black Aphis (A. rumicis,
fig. 1049) is considered to be A.
fabcz, or Bean Aphis. It lives
upon the stalks of the broad
beans, near the top, and it is usual
to cut off their top so as to de- FlG I049._BIack
Aphis, magnified.
stroy these creatures.
Our plum-trees are terribly infested by the Plum Aphis (Hya-
lopteris pruni, fig. 1050). The under side of the leaves are sometimes
so thickly covered with these creatures that the point of a pin cannot
FIG. 1048. — Aphides on
Potato-leaf, nat. size.
476
MY GARDEN.
be inserted between them. They are of a peculiar light grass-green,
and there are very few years in which they do not infest my trees.
Our peas are occasionally, but not often, attacked by the Pea
Aphis (Siphonopkora pisi, fig. 1051). In. some years, in other localities,
I have seen it in large quantities, and one year a vast colony alighted
in all the open courts of the Bank of England. It is a large handsome
species, with long legs, long antennae, and long joints to the legs.
FIG. 1050. — Plum Aphis, magnified.
FIG. 1052. — American Blight,
magnified.
FIG. 1051. — Pea Aphis, magnified.
One of the more remarkable aphides, which attacks two or three
out of my large collection of apple-trees, is the American Blight
(Schizoneura lanuginosa, fig. 1052). It lives upon the stems of the
apple-trees, and \vhen crushed stains linen like the cochineal : I
remember it ever since I was a child, because I incurred the wrath of
my nurse by staining my pinafores with its
blood. It was supposed to have been im-
ported from America, but Harris considers
that it was introduced to America on fruit-
trees from Europe. It is reputed to live on
the roots as well as on the stems, but I have
not myself verified this. It is very injurious
FIG. 1053.— Currant-leaf with Aphides, to the treCS.
I cannot undertake to describe all the aphides which frequent my
garden. Some years, as in 1871, the currant-trees round London
were severely injured by the Currant Aphis, which lives on the under
side of the leaves and causes them to pucker (fig. 1053). Many
HEMIPTERA. 477
of the trees died. Sometimes the lettuces are destroyed by a root-
feeding aphis. Frequently the leaves of the carrot are attacked by
a species apt to escape notice. The vegetal marrows were attacked
this year for the first time in my garden, on the under side of the
leaf; but the melons and cucumbers in the glass structures are pretty
constantly visited by this pest. Sometimes the leaves of our cabbage
plants are infested, but never in my garden to such an extent as I
have seen them elsewhere. I have noticed beet-root and mangold ex-
tensively destroyed, but not at my garden. Grasses have a peculiar
aphis. Rose-trees are frequently injured by aphides, which attack the
young shoots. In some gardens honeysuckles are constantly so
severely attacked as to destroy their appearance, but mine have not
so suffered. Ivy is sometimes seriously injured. The leaves of the
apple-tree are often visited by a species totally different from the
American Blight, but it has never been seen at my garden. The limes
are constantly visited by such numbers that much honey is pro-
duced for the bees and wasps ; the beech is also similarly infested.
We have had two or three large willows killed by thousands of
a very large kind of aphis. The oak
has several species, including the
variety with long rostrum (fig. 1054),
which lives in the cracks in the oak
bark ; and the sycamores have a very
large species on their leaves, which FIG. io54. -Aphis Quercus, magnified.
is followed by a black fungus. I might cite many other examples,
but I have mentioned enough to show how formidable these creatures
are, from the variety of plants which they attack, and on account of
the vast quantities which feed on a single plant. It is a desideratum
to have good figures of all these creatures. I am well pleased that
Mr. Buckton is undertaking this task, as an accurate drawing from
nature of any natural object is a gift to the world, and a contri-
bution to exact knowledge ; for the pencil can delineate what the
pen is unable to describe. Good drawings contribute much to com-
pensate for the imperfection of words and language.
478
MY GARDEN.
Allied to the plant-lice, and equally destructive, we have the Cocci,
of which the Cochineal insect, the coccus which lives on the cactus, is
an example. The cocci are especially the plagues of greenhouses, and
if allowed to multiply will speedily destroy a valuable collection of
plants.
These creatures, like the aphides or plant-lice, have a rostrum by
means of which they pierce the cuticle of the plant and suck its juices.
There are many species, but all are equally destructive. The vine is
sometimes attacked by the Vine Scale Insect (Coccus vitis). The orange
is pretty constantly attacked by the C. hcspcridum : in fact, it requires
continual care to keep this tree from their ravages. The pine-apple
is attacked by the C. Bromelice. The Mealy Bug (C. adoniditm, fig.
1055) is very troublesome in the hot-house. There is a group of these
creatures which live under a shield, as the Aspidiotus ncrii, or
FIG. 1055. — Coccus adonidum, nat. size and magnified. Fis. 1056. — Lemon coccus, magnified.
Oleander Scale Insect. In the year 1871, the lemons imported to
London were spotted over with green, as though at certain parts they
had not thoroughly ripened : in the centre of each of these spots there
was a white covering, under which a coccus (fig. 1056) resided. When
the lemons were thus attacked, they were bitter and unfit for use. I
exhibited this coccus at the Horticultural Society, but it appeared to
be a new insect, not heretofore known. All the varieties of cocci must
be .removed immediately they appear upon the plant. The best plan
is to wash the plant, as this effectually destroys the insect.
Thrips are another family of hemipterous insects which do much
damage, from their great numbers. Mr. Haliday has made a special
HEMIPTERA. 479
study of them, and has recorded his observations in the Entomological
Magazine. There would appear to be a large number of species, as
as he has divided them into sixteen
genera. At my garden ferns kept in
too warm an atmosphere specially
suffer from their ravages. Tobacco
FIG. 1057. — Larva Thrip, magnified. FIG. 1058. — Winged Thrip, magnified.
smoke appears to kill them, but the best remedy is to place the plant
out of doors during the summer season. Fig. 1057 shows the larva
thrip, and fig. 1058 the thrip in the mature or winged state.
NEUROPTERA.
The Fifth order, Neuroptera, includes the Dragon-flies, Lace-wings,
and May-flies. These have jaws, four netted wings, and have no
sting. Most of the creatures comprised in this order are of service to
the gardener, and some are useful as providing food for our trout.
We have but few of the larger Dragon-flies as compared, for
instance, with the number which inhabit Epping Forest. It is highly
interesting to watch them hawking for flies in the glades, and, when
tired, fixing themselves upon the top of a branch to repose for the
night. They are very voracious, and eat large quantities of flies, thus
doing us some good.
We have not a great number of the small green Dragon-flies ; never-
theless some are to be observed near the lake every year.
A very beautiful creature, called the Chrysoma pcrla (fig. 1059), with
green gauze wings and sparkling eyes, is very useful to the gardener
on account of the number of aphides it devours. The larva of this
creature (fig. 1060) is to be found on nearly every leaf infested with
aphides, and it destroys incredible quantities.
In a division of the order Neuroptera, and separated into the sub-
48o
MY GARDEN.
order Tricoptera, we have creatures of some importance to us, as they
afford abundant food for our trout. In the larva state they live in the
water, and are then called Caddis-worms ; in the perfect state they
FIG. 1060. — Larva of C. perla.
FIG. 1059. — Chrysoma perla.
become winged creatures, and in both conditions are eagerly devoured
by trout. In the larva state they live in a beautiful house, which they
construct themselves of little bits of sticks, shells, or other materials,
which they select according to the force of the stream in which they
reside.
FIG. ic6i.— Houses of Caddis-worms.
My daughter was so much interested in watching these creatures in
their strange houses, as they moved along the bottom of the little
streams, that a number were procured for more exact observation. The
caddis-worms were turned out of their dwellings, and each was placed
in a separate glass of water, with various materials suitable for the
construction of their house, when the nude creature immediately set
to work to make a new house, and never stopped till the greater part
of its body was encased (Fig. 1061).
NEUROPTERA, 481
By giving to each creature one kind of material alone, they
were unable to exercise any choice : hence Miss Sniee was able to
compel the creature to make houses of a considerable variety of
objects. Beautiful cases were made of fragments of coloured glass,
amethyst, cairngorm, cornelian, agate, onyx, coral, marble, shells, and
mother-of-pearl. When the little creatures were supplied with brass
shavings or gold and silver leaf, they were sorely puzzled, and with
the latter they could only make an irregular case. With coralline a
pretty basket-like case was constructed. With fragments of a tortoise-
shell comb one formed 'a case like a hedgehog. They were unable to
make cases at all of round beads, although they have been known to
use a cherry-stone. Neither could they succeed with slate, coal, brick,
lead, or copper ; and if supplied with chips of resinous wood, the
creatures were always destroyed.1
FtG. 1062. — Fossil Cadhaits (real size'. FFG. 1063.— Small Cadbaits.
At some former geological epoch these caddis-worms were so
common, that in France hills are composed of their cases alone (fig.
1062). The winged insects fly over the water, and settle upon it.
"To sunny waters some
By fatal instinct fly ; where on the pool
They sportive wheel ; or, sailing down the stream,
Are snatch'd immediate by the quick-eyed trout."
THOMSON'S Seasons.
We have a vast number of species of these water-flies. One little
cadbait makes its case of small stones, and many- may be seen in the
Central brook attached to a single pebble (fig. 1063). It is remarkable,
however, that the Wandle is one of the few rivers in England where
the true May-fly never appears.
1 Intellectual Observer, No. 29, " On the Caddis-worm and its Houses," by
Miss Elizabeth Mary Smee.
I I
MY GARDEN.
LEPIDOPTERA.
The Sixth group comprises the Scale-covered winged insects, or
Lepidoptera, such as Butterflies and Moths. The perfect insects have
four wings covered with beautiful scales, arranged like the slates of a
house. The larvae are caterpillars, having six true legs and four or
more prop legs. In the perfect state the whole order are beautiful, and
probably do the gardener much good by setting his flowers ; but in
the larva or caterpillar state all are more or less detrimental to the
horticulturist.
" Luxurious, others make
The meads their choice, and visit every flower
And every latent herb."— THOMSON'S Seasons,
A great pest in the garden is the caterpillar of the White Butterfly
(Pieris brassicce), and that of Pieris napi, which live on the cabbages
and cauliflowers, and which
sometimes disgust us by being
served up with these vegetals
to the dinner-table. The fe-
male insect of Pieris brassicce
(fig. 1064, No. i) has two large
spots on the upper wings.
She lays her eggs (No. 2) on
various cruciferous garden
plants, and on the turnip and
horse-radish: the radish tuber,
watercress, and especially the
Km. 1064.— i-jens, ^rasMca: and Pieron.alus brassicae. CabbagC-Stalk, are the prey of
the caterpillar (No. 3), which attains the length of i£ inches. The
caterpillars assume the chrysalis form (No. 4), and may be found
fixed by a silken thread on branches or palings, from which the
butterfly emerges. Curtis states that the chrysalis is preyed upon
by a minute hymenopterous insect, the Pteromalus brassicce, and I
have figured his drawing (fig. 1064, No. 5, and magnified No. 6).
LEPIDOPTERA.
483
Hymenopterous insects are of great importance in destroying the
caterpillar pests of the garden.
The Hawthorn Butterfly (Pieris crat&gi] occasionally visits gardens,
and, according to Boisduval, is at times troublesome in all parts of
Europe, but if it has visited us it has not been observed. The caterpillar
of the great Tortoiseshell Butterfly is also said to live upon cherry and
plum trees, and sometimes it strips them entirely of their leaves : —
" La, tout papillon a des roses ;
Tout corps laisse, des tapis verts :
Toute abeille a des fleurs ^closes ;
Et tout zdphire, des concerts."— JULES CANONGE.
We are troubled to a certain extent with the tree-destroying Goat
Moth (Cossus lignipcrda}. The caterpillar (fig. 1065) is a truly formidable
FIG. 1065.— Caterpillar of Goat Moth.
creature, with a pair of jaws of such power that it can eat and penetrate
into the hardest trees. It lives upon the woody
fibre, and is particularly partial to the willow. I
have known it to destroy cherry and apple trees. Its
presence may be known by an unpleasant odour, and
by a peculiar kind of sawdust-looking matter oozing
from the trunk of the trees.. A short time ago I
saw one of my favourite apple-trees so attacked. I
immediately cut into this caterpillar's gallery, which
I found penetrated to the heart of the tree. The
moth itself is three inches across the wings, and
is remarkable for the quantity of fat it contains,
FIG. 1066. -Apple-stem
which is apt to grease the paper of the cabinet in
which it is placed. Fig. 1066 shows part of the trunk of an apple-tree
which was literally riddled by these creatures.
I I 2
484
MY GARDEN.
The caterpillar of the Wood Leopard Moth (Zeuzera <zsculi, fig. 1067)
commits ravages similar to those of the goat moth, by boring- into
the trees.
An important caterpillar to the gardener is that of the Lackey Moth
(Bombyx neustria). Some years it is common, though in others it is
hardly seen. The moth (fig. 1068) lays its eggs (fig. 1069, No. i),
disposed in the form of a bracelet, round the branches of trees. The
caterpillars (fig. 1069, No. 2) live in a spun web, from which they dis-
tribute themselves over the trees. On a warm day in June colonies
FIG. 1067. — Caterpillar of Wood Leopr.rd
Moth.
FIG. 1068.— Lackey Moth.
FIG. 1069. — Caterpillar, Eggs, and Cocoon of L;ickey Moth.
congregate, two or three hundred together, on the sunny side of the
stems of trees, to expose their bodies to the sun, when the gardener
should take the opportunity of destroying them. The moths — even
•when the caterpillars have been plentiful — are not often seen. This
species is allied to the silkworm, and, like it, spins a cocoon (fig. 1069,
No. 3). Some years ago the caterpillars abounded on the pear-trees
in the gardens north of London, and the last year or two they have
been slightly troublesome in my garden.
The caterpillars of the Yellow-tail Moth (Liparis auriflua), of
the Brown-tail Moth (Liparis chrysorrhcea, fig. 1070), and of the
Gipsy Moth (Liparis dispar\ are very destructive to the leaves of
frees. The White Willow Moth (Liparis salicis), an imitation of the
LEPIDOPTERA.
485
perfect creature of which is used by fly-fishers to catch trout in the
evening, is found in the garden.
The perfect male insect of the
/ \ \lmi' Orgyia antiqua is a winged moth,
but the female has no wings. The
\ IteL'l \Ml caterpillars live upon fruit and rose-
trees, and they sometimes exist in
such numbers that they fall to the
ground by hundreds.
FIG. 1070. — Caterpillar of Brown-tail Moth. FIG. 1071. — Magpie Moth.
A very common insect in gardens is the large Magpie Moth (Abraxas
grossulariata, fig. 1071). Sometimes the caterpillars utterly destroy
all the leaves of the currant and gooseberry trees. The caterpillar
forms curious loops, and has black spots down the back. In my
garden it has fortunately never been at all numerous, but I have been
informed that it may be destroyed by the powder of hellebore. The
figure is from the excellent
book on British Moths by
Newman.
Our apples are at times
injured by a caterpillar
which lives in the interior
of the fruit, and which
causes it to ripen prema-
turely and to drop from the
tree. The caterpillar then
works its way out, when it undergoes its metamorphosis, and becomes
changed into a small moth, the Codlin Moth (Tortrix (carpocapsa}
pomonana> fig. 1072).
FIG. 1072. — Codlin Moth.
486
MY GARDEX.
Many other Tortrices infest our gardens, the study of which must be
left to the entomologist rather than pursued by the gardener. The
TVr/rtr pruniana (fig. 1073) is an example of this class, which attacks
the plum-trees.
FIG. 1073. — Tortrix pruniana.
FIG. 1074. — Great Yellow Underwing.
The family of the Nocturidae are so numerous that they have been
again divided. The Great Yellow Underwing (Tryph&na promiba, fig.
1074) is an abundant species, very troublesome to gardeners, devouring
many kinds of plants — especially cabbages, cauliflowers, and lettuces.
It is reported to live through winter, and to sally forth in spring to
renew its devastations. The figure, after Curtis, shows the moth
(No. 3), caterpillar (No. i), and chrysalis (No. 2).
The caterpillar of the Noctua (mamestrd) brassicce (fig. 1075) ls
abundant everywhere, and hardly any garden produce comes amiss to
it. It lives principally on cabbages and cauliflowers, and is a terrible
pest to the gardener.
FIG. 1075-— Caterpfllar of Noctna (mamestra
FIG. 1076. — N. exclantationts.
The Noctua (agrotis) exclamationis (fig. 1076) and N. (agrotis)
segetum also visit the garden.
.Amongst the Geometers there is a very common moth, Hybernia
LEPIDOPTERA. 487
defoliaria, the caterpillar of which (fig. 1077) lives in a large number of
forest and on most fruit trees. The caterpillar
of this section of moths is remarkable for the
curious form which it assumes in locomotion.
The caterpillar is very destructive to the leaves '*^*fc2'7lSSS55£rof
-ir «/ rly foernici deiona.ria,.
in May, and enters the ground to change to the chrysalis in June.
" Thus are my blossoms blasted in the bud,
And caterpillars eat my leaves away."
SHAKSPEARE, Henry VI.
The hairy caterpillar of the Garden Tiger Moth (Chelonia cajd] is
very voracious, and devours the lettuces and strawberries. The moth is
handsome, and the caterpillar characteristic, but in my garden it has
never done material damage.
The Death's-head Moth (Ackerontia atropos) is not common in this
country ; nevertheless in the potato fields to the south of my garden
many specimens have been found. The caterpillar may be known by
its green colour, large size, and by a horn which it has at its tail.
The moth itself is the most gigantic of our English Lepidoptera.
As a whole, my garden is not much infested with caterpillars. I
attribute this to the protection which is afforded to the birds. When
an entomologist, at my request, visited the garden on several occasions
to assist me in determining the species which dwelt therein, he left
in disgust, declaring that it was impossible to find insects where the
birds were so numerous and so carefully preserved. Lector, respice !
DIPTERA.
The Seventh order comprises the Diptera, or Two-winged flies. The
larvae are maggots without feet, of which the gentle is a notable
example. Some act as scavengers, and are thus useful to mankind ;
others prey upon injurious insects, and so are of service. Many are
themselves directly hurtful to vegetation ; and a large number, as the
gnat and mosquito, are the very terror of mankind in fenny countries.
488
MY GARDEN.
The family of Syrphidse is very beneficial to the gardener, from the
extreme voracity of the larvae, which devour aphides. The larvse
are constantly to be seen on leaves infested with aphides, when their
mode of seizing and sucking those creatures may be often observed.
Scceva pyrastri, engraved from Curtis (fig. 1078, No. 4), is a somewhat
large fly, with great eyes. The maggots (No. 5) are green, and change
into the pupa state (No. 6) before they become the perfect fly. No. 7
represents Scceva ribesii, and No. i the winged creature of S. baltcata,
No. 2 the maggot, and No. 3 the pupa.
FIG. 1078. — Scssva bait en ta, S. pyrastri, and S. ribesii.
FIG. 1079. — Daddy Long-legs : i, larva ; 2, empty
case ; 3, perfect imect ; 4, eggs.
There is a very destructive family of two-winged insects, called
familiarly Crane-flies or Daddy Long-legs (fig. 1079, No. 3), though
scientifically termed Tipulae. The larvae are very destructive to many
vegetals, and also to the roots of dahlias in the flower-garden. The
larva of 7\ oleracea (No. 2) is a maggot about an inch long, in a thick
jacket, but without feet. There are many species, of which I have
figured one of the larger from Curtis, T. paludosa, as this will show
to the horticulturist the character of these destructive creatures when
they visit the garden. I believe the roots of our plants have been at
times a good deal injured by the larvae of Daddy Long-legs.
There are certain small insects of the same family which live in the
fingers and toes of the malformed roots <o:f cabbages, turnips, and
DIPTERA.
489
FIG. 1080. — Tnchocera hiemalis.
broccoli, and in all probability cause the plants to produce them. Fig.
1080, No. i, shows the small larva which lives in this deformity, No. 2
the same magnified ; Nos. 3
and 4 represent the pupa, No. 5
the winged insect in repose,
and No. 6 the creature in the
act of flying.
There are other gnats which
appear sometimes in little
clouds; and in the hot summer
of 1870 many mosquitoes, the bites of which were very severe, visited
our neighbourhood, and probably located themselves on the Sewage
ground. At my garden some species constantly come out at dusk,
after the midges have tormented us in the day-tirne. Gnats, and all
other dipterous insects, have no stings at their tails like wasps, but bite
with their mouths (fig. 1019, b, c).
" When the sun shines, let foolish gnats make sport,
But creep in crannies, when he hides his beams."
SHAKSPEARE, Comedy of Errors.
The celery and parsnip — but particularly the former — have been most
seriously injured by the great Celery Fly (Tephritis onopordinis). The
larvae live between the surfaces of the leaf (fig. 1081), and then eat the
FIG. ioSi. — Celery affected with
leaf- mining Larvae.
FIG. 1082.— Carrot Fly.
intermediate tissue, so that the leaf cannot perform its functions, and
thus the whole plant is damaged and is liable to rot. The only
remedy is to pluck off the diseased portion of the leaf.
MY GARDEN.
The larvae (fig. 1082, Nos. i, 3, 4, and No. 2 magnified) of the
Carrot Fly (Psila rosce] prey upon the roots of the carrot, which they
eat along, thus damaging its quality. It changes into a pupa (Nos. 5
and 6 magnified), and then into the perfect insect (Nos. 7 and 8
magnified).
In the environs of London the young pears have been much at-
tacked by a small maggot (fig. 1083 : A natural size, B magnified),
which lives upon the fruit in the early stage. They appear to stimulate
the growth of the young pear, which soon attains to a larger size than
its neighbours, but only to promote its premature decay, as the pear
drops about the last week in May. Sometimes all the pears on a tree
are destroyed by this pest. I think the best plan to get rid of them,
in small gardens, would be to collect and burn the overgrown pears
the last week in May. This maggot
has not yet attacked my garden so
much as it has others.
FIG. 1083. — Pear with Larvae.
FIG. 1084. — Onion Fly.
Onions are sometimes destroyed by the Onion Fly (Anth0myia
ceparum, fig. 1084). The eggs are deposited on the onion close to the
earth, and the maggots eat their way to its heart. This fly has not,
however, been noticed in my garden.
The larvae of the Holly-fly (Phytomyza ilicis] eat the parenchyma
of the leaves of the holly, as the larvae of the celery-fly do the leaves
of that plant.
" For oft, engendered by the hazy moth,
Myriads on myriads, insect armies waft
Keen in the poison'd breeze ; and wasteful eat
Through buds and bark, into the blacken'd core
Their eager way." — THOMSON'S Seasons.
SLUGS AND SNAILS.
491
FIG. 1085.- Black Slug.
SLUGS AND SNAILS.
My garden, like all others, abounds in slugs and snails, which
delight to eat the choicest and rarest plants, and therefore it is the duty
of the gardener to exterminate them in those spots where only labour
and watchfulness secure to us
the pleasure of rearing beau-
tiful and foreign plants.
We have the L imax agrcstis,
or Milky Slug. Fig. 1085, No. I,
represents the Arion atcr. or
Black Slug, No. 2 the same
whilst moving, and No. 3 when
in repose. These creatures
multiply by eggs (No. 4), and
have greatly increased in number since I first took possession of my
garden. They come out at night and in wet weather, when they should
be caught by the gardener. The horns of slugs and snails appear
to be highly sensitive, which has been well alluded to by our great
poet when he says that—
" Love's feeling is more soft and sensible
Than are the tender horns of cockled snails."
SHAKSPEARE, Love's Labour's Lost,
We have also abundance of the Helix aspersa^ or common Garden
Snail, of which the thrushes
are so fond. The species is
propagated by eggs (fig. 1 086,
No. i), which hatch into small
snails (No. 2), grow (No. 3),
and finally attain the size of
No. 4. They are fond of living
in the crevices of walls, but
as we have no walls we are
not greatly troubled with them.
On the chalk downs to the south of my garden, the large Helix
FIG. 1086. — Common Garden Snail.
492
MY GARDEN.
Pomatia (fig. 1087) is found in abundance, although it has not been
seen within it. This is the eatable Roman snail, and by some persons
is considered to have been an introduced species. It is the kind
which I have seen in the snail gardens of Eastern Switzerland. I
introduced a considerable number into the boundaries of my garden,
but I cannot yet tell whether they will live in my district. I am informed
that to this day the workmen of Didcot collect them from the chalk
downs and eat them. This species, whether introduced or natural,
is now abundant on all the chalk downs of England.
We have the variously marked Girdled Shell (Helix nemorate,
fig. 1088), but not in large quantities. The outward appearance of
different specimens presents so much difference that I at first thought
FIG. icgo. — Succinea
putris.
FIG. 1088.— Girdled Shell.'
FIG, 1087.— Helix Pomatia.
FIG. 1089. — Zonites
crystallinus.
FIG. 1091.— Limnaeus
Pereger.
there were several species, but Dr. Gray, the great authority, assured
me they were all the same : one naturalist has given seventy-seven
names to varieties of this, species alone.
Of other Helicina, we have Zonites lucidus, a small species, and
Zonites crystallinus (fig. 1089), which lives amongst moss and leaves.
We have also Helix cantiana, or Kentish Snail, which lives in hedges
in Kent and Surrey, and some other counties ; H. concimia, or Neat
Snail; and Helix or Succinea putris (fig. 1090), the common Amber
Snail, which is abundant on the water iris in our lake, but of its natural
history I know but little.
In the water of the lake we have great abundance of Limnxi,
particularly of Limnceus Pereger (fig. 1091) and L. Stagnate. They
SLL'GS AND SNAILS. 493
are of some importance, as they exist in great quantities, and form
an article of food to our troufr. I have seen the bottom of the Back-
water literally covered with the dead shells, and I have known pints
of shells to pass through the pipe used to supply our fish-hatching
apparatus. The eggs may be seen in an aquarium on the glass, and
the little creatures, when first hatching, are interesting objects. They
can float upon the surface of the water as though that surface were a
solid body to which they could attach themselves.
In our Central stream, particularly in the fern glen, there are plenty
of the common River Limpet (Ancylus fluviatilis, fig. 1092) adhering
to the stones where a rapid current of water passes over them.
Amongst our water weeds we have many of the Planorbis corneus
or Horny Coil Shell, the P. carinatus, P. complanatus, P. vortex
(fig. 1093), and P. contortus. These creatures are of considerable im-
portance to us, affording food for the trout, and it is very amusing to
see the fish with tails out of water in the evening diving amongst the
water weeds to pick them out.
FIG. 1096.
FIG. 1092. FIG. 1093. FIG. 1094. FIG. 1095. Valvata piscinalis.
River Limpet. Planorbis vortex. Cyclas cornea. Bithinia ventricosa.
The Cyclas cornea (fig. 1094),- if it does not exist in my garden,
abounds in a turf-pit immediately outside in the grounds of Mr. Sheppey.
It has a bivalve shell.
We have two Bithinias, B. ventricosa (fig. 1095) and B. tentaculata
both small creatures living in the water ; and also Valvata piscinalis
(fig. 1096), another small water snail.
I had a fancy to acclimatize the Dreissena polymorp/ia, a very curious
creature introduced about fifty years ago into the Commercial Docks,
and supposed to have come from the Danube. It exists in the reservoirs
of the New River Company at Stoke Newington ; but the specimens
I placed in my water did not thrive, and I presume the trout devoured
them, as sticklebacks were seen to do so when placed with specimens in
494
MY GARDEN.
a glass aquarium. Dr. J. E. Gray — from whom every English student
of Zoological Science has during a period of more than half a century
obtained so much kind information and assistance whenever it was
needed, and who has thus enhanced the value of our national collection
at the British Museum — tells me that on the hills above us he has himself
found five other species of shells, namely H. pulchella, H. fasciolata, H.
virgata, H. ericctonwz, and H. umbilicata.
MY FISHERY.
" Our plenteous streams a various race supply." — POPE.
We have but few species of fish in the Wandle as it passes through
my garden, nevertheless the Trout and Eel make up in quality what
is wanting in variety. The Wandle has always been celebrated for its
fine Trout (Salino fario, fig. 1097), and there are so many in the river
that probably it can be favourably compared with any trout stream in
Europe., as the quantity of fish it contains is only limited by the food
FIG. 1097. — 'i rout.
which it can afford them. The French Commissioners, when on a visit
to this country, were astonished at the number of fish which they saw,
and said it would be impossible in France to have a river so stocked,
as their countrymen would never rest till they had caught them. I am
afraid that Sir H. Davy magnified his piscatorial adventures in the
Saltzkammergut, as I certainly could not see so many fish there,
for an equal amount of water, as we possess.
Formerly we always considered that we had two varieties of trout
in the Wandle, — one shorter, with white flesh, which is in season in
May and June; a second longer, with large head but with red flesh,
which comes into season in July and August.
THE FISHERY. 495
At the present time we have several varieties, and Dr. Giinther,
the distinguished ichthyologist, has pointed out in the Catalogue of the
British Museum that there are not only outward, but structural differ-
ences amongst the trout in my water. He reports upon seven speci-
mens, from 9^ to 14 inches long, taken from my garden in the month
of March.
Male, 14 inches long, 39 caes. pyl., and 58 vertebras
Eemale, 13 „ 41 „ ,,57 „
Male, ii „ 41 „
Female. 12 „ 42 „ „ 58 „
Female, 10 „ 47 „
Male, 9} „ 49 „ „ 57
Male, 12 „ 51 „
Dr. Giinther adds: "It must be remembered that Mr. Smee
has introduced into this river numerous trout artificially bred from
ova which were received from numerous sources."
Mr. Reynolds, whose family have lived in the district for nearly
a century, informs me that his grandfather placed some lake trout
in the stream, and also another variety of yellow trout, but he
could not remember whence the latter were procured. Mr. Reynolds
notes three varieties in the stream, and he believes that the yellow
variety was introduced from the Christchurch stream.
I have figured a large fish that was killed, with nearly a cartload
of others, by something supposed to be gas refuse, which came down
in the Croydon sewage.
The trout of the Wandle have ever held a high reputation for fine
flavour; nevertheless I consider that the trout of the Darenth — which
rises partially from the same chalk downs as the Wandle, and enters
the Thames at Dartford — are even of better quality.
At my garden the trout do not live on fish, as they do in the
Thames or Colne, where there are millions of young fry and minnows.
Curiously enough, we have no minnows at all in our water : but in
spring, when the trout are very active, they may be occasionally seen
with another fish of their own species in their mouths.
In our water the trout spawn about the third week in January, and
MY GARDEN.
continue to do so till the end of February or the first few days of
March. Below us, in the grounds of Shipley House, they are a few
days earlier. After having spawned, the fish distribute themselves over
the water, each taking up a station according to its fancy, where it
is always to be found, unless indeed it is taking an excursion for food
or for pleasure, when it returns again to the same place, so that each
individual trout is perfectly well known to the frequenters of my garden.
When a second trout seeks to secure a station already occupied, it is
amusing to see the one in possession rush at the intruder with open
mouth to chase it away. The trout at its station takes any food to its
mouth which may float down the river, but sometimes it will not move
foot out of the way to secure a tempting morsel. If disturbed, it a
leisurely swims away a few yards ; and when ail is again quiet, it returns
to its old quarters.
In our river the chief food of the trout is the planorbis and limnaeus,
the fresh-water shrimp, and the caddis-worm ; it also rises to the
water-flies which settle on the water during the summer months ; but
it is not very particular about its food, as it has been seen to pick
a mutton-chop bone with as much relish as a dog would.
In the evening the trout wander up the streamlets in places where
there is scarcely water to cover them, and return with the velocity of
lightning when disturbed.
Sometimes the trout attempt to hide themselves by thrusting their
heads into holes in the bank, unconscious that their tails are sticking out
and can be seen — a very dangerous position, as any person having an
evil intent has only to put his hands quietly down to the hole and
tickle the fish till the head be secured, when the trout can be
thrown on the bank.
It is a wonderful sight to see the trout congregate to spawn on
shallow gravel beds over which there is a sharp stream of water.
Occasionally two or three trout go up one of the small streamlets and
make a little spawn-bed for themselves, but as a rule where one goes
all go, and so by their numbers they make a hill on the gravel of many
cartloads in extent. At the tail of this hill there is always a little
THE FISHERY. 497
pool. Great have been the disputes as to whether the trout throw
up these gravel hills with their heads or with their tails : the head of
the fish, however, shows much abrasion.
It was years before I could see the act of spawning performed with
my own eyes, as apparently it is quickly done, and then possibly most
commonly at night.
However, one genial spring morning after a succession of cold
nights, the fish gratified me by allowing me to see the operation. I
then saw distinctly the male fish chasing the female on the spawn-bed,
and the fish turning up the gravel at the tail of the spawn-bed with
their noses. When all the spawning is finished, some of the male fish
remain for two or more months at the tail of the spawn-bed, and, as
they chase away all strangers, I believe that they are watchmen, playing
the same part in the protection of the ova as the pugnacious male
sticklebacks undoubtedly do with respect to their nests.
The artificial breeding of fish, or Pisciculture, has been followed
more or less in this country for many years, and Mr. S. Gurney prac-
tised it on the Wandle at the Culvers.
The French Government, however, have of late years given an impetus
to the industry, and Professor Coste, who had charge of the subject, used
a gridiron of glass rods to support the ova in earthen vessels, over which
he allowed a current of water to trickle. I first learnt his process at the
College of France in 1859, and was highly delighted with the result.
The Professor was so obliging as to
give me specimens of young salmon
and trout, which I brought to England,
together with one of his boxes, in order
that I might make known his process
and use it in my garden, whence it
has spread over the country.
The apparatus is simple. It con- FIG. 1098. -Fish-tray.
sists of an earthenware oblong box (fig. 1098) about four inches deep,
six inches wide, and fourteen inches long, with a little spout. Inside
this a wooden tray is supported about an inch below the surface ; the
K K
498
MY GARDEN.
bottom of this wooden tray being composed of glass rods about one-
eighth of an inch apart.
The breeding troughs are placed in a house of the simplest construc-
tion, roofed with reed hurdles (fig. 1099).
A set of these boxes is so
arranged one over the other that
the spouts out of which the
water runs are alternately right
and left, so that the water in
passing from one box to an-
other runs entirely over the
surface of the ova in each box.
It is necessary that the current
FIG. io99.-Fish House. of water should be maintained
for the entire time requisite for the development of the ova.
To procure ova, fish must be caught during the spawning season.
The male fish are slimmer than the female. When ready for spawning
the females emit ova on the slightest pressure, and the males emit milt.
The ripe female is taken in the hand, and the spawn pressed out by
drawing the hand slowly, firmly, but gently from the head to the vent ;
and care should be taken that every single egg is emitted from the
fish, which can be told by the feel. The spawn should be received in
an earthen vessel, as a basin, containing just sufficient water to cover
it, and simultaneously the milt from a male fish should be mixed with
the ova, which then become fertilized. I generally begin with the milt
of a male, then proceed with the ova of a female, and then use the
milt, when males and females are equally abundant. In the early part
of the season ripe males are more abundant than ripe females, but at
the end of the season the females will be found ready, whilst the males
will be spent ; and I have known a considerable difficulty in obtaining
an adequate supply of milt.
The fertilized ova should be arranged on the glass gridirons in the
hatching boxes. Each box holds about two thousand eggs, and no
delay should ensue in causing the water to run over the ova.
THE FISHERY. 499
If all goes on well, in a few days two little black specks are visible,
which are the future eyes, and in due time the little fish breaks through
the tough membrane which has invested it. At that period each little
fish has a large bag attached to its stomach, which is called the umbilical
vesicle ; this is covered with bright blood-vessels, by which the material
contained in the bag, which is destined to nourish the young fish, is
gradually absorbed.
During the period required for hatching the eggs they should be
examined at least twice a week, and every egg which turns opaque
should be removed, or it is apt to be covered with a fungus (see Fungi,
fig. 859). The time required for the development of the egg is six
weeks, but it varies a little with the temperature, which it is always
desirable to keep down. On a warm day hundreds of young trout
will break through their shells, when they drop through the apertures
between the glass rods to the bottom of the vessel.
During the whole time of hatching the ova, they should be kept
nearly in the dark, for if exposed to the light the eggs become covered
with a confervoid growth, which destroys them. I did not succeed well
till I learnt this fact, but now there is no difficulty, and very little
trouble, in obtaining any number of young fish. In a large hatch of
ova there are always some double fish, or Siamese twins. These live till
they lose the umbilical vesicle, when they die.
When the umbilical vesicle is absorbed, food must be taken by
the mouth, and really at this period there is practically considerable
difficulty, for they must be supplied with food, and that food must be
in motion. It is supposed that they live on the entomostraca : they
certainly do not live on the diatoms, as I have examined their stomachs
to ascertain the fact. Fine scraped meat may be given to them, or very
fine pounded liver, but I prefer at once to turn them loose. On every
fine day after they have been placed in our streams the little fish may
be seen in great activity, continually darting at something which no
doubt is food, but which is too small for the human eye to distin-
guish. I turn them into little streamlets which I clear of all living
things as far as possible, as a little trout is a dainty morsel, highly
K K 2
500 MY GARDEN.
prized by the miller's- thumb, stickleback, or even by a trout of larger
dimensions.
•When a number of small fish are thus turned out, they gradually
seem to drop down the stream, and may be traced for some hundred
yards. At the period of losing the umbilical vesicle the fish are delicate,
and I have known as many as two thousand fine young salmon-trout
die in a single night, from some cause which I could not satisfactorily
explain.
When it is desired to feed trout artificially till they attain a large
size, live fish are required. At Heidelberg, where there is a breeding
establishment on a slender stream at the Wolfsgang, I saw great
quantities of white fish, which were procured by netting the river Neckar
below. The difficulty of obtaining a sufficient supply of such fish would
prevent me from making trout-feeding a profitable business, as it
appears to be at Heidelberg ; for how could I possibly procure a
constant and cheap supply of live minnows, bleak, dace, or other fish
at my garden, where none now naturally exist ? The kindness and
courtesy of the officials at the Huningue establishment of France
merit the warmest acknowledgments of pisciculturists, and I have to
return them my thanks for many boxes of spawn. The practical success
of this process is proved by the fact that many varieties of trout are now
found in my water which did not exist in the Wandle before I supplied
the river from ova sent to me by this establishment. It is understood
amongst the proprietors of the Wandle that fly-fishing should alone be
practised for catching trout. There are one or two pieces of waste
water, however, where the fish are sadly poached. It is not usual to
fish before the 1st of May or later than the end of August. In
some years the fish are hardly fit to eat in May, and in others become
so thin by the middle of August as to be unfit for food.
Fish out of season shrivel in cooking, are tasteless, and are some-
- times actually poisonous, for which reason every black fish, when
caught by a rod and line, should be returned to the river.
Every fisherman has his peculiar notions as to the size and colour
-of the flies he uses, and even of the number which he has on his line.
THE FISHERY.
501
For myself, I use only one fly at a time on the Wandle. As a rule, a
fly called a coachman (Fig. 1 100, No. 5) generally kills : it has white
wings, and the size should be proportionate to the light, smaller flies
being used in sunshine, larger in
twilight, and at dusk a very
large coachman may be tried.
Sometimes a fly thje oppo-
site of this, with dark blue
wings, is good ; but there is
a particular time in June when
the natural fly floats down the
water, and then it is necessary
that the artificial fly should do
the same, if the fisherman de- T
sire fish. At all other times
the artificial fly ' may float
FIG. TIOO — Flies:
!
bouddiu
Quill Gnat ; 2, Black' Gnat ; 3, Car-
shalton Cocktail ; 4, Emperor ; 5, Coachman ; 6, Coch-y
down .the river a few inches
• •
below the surface.
These are times, however, when fish will not feed, and nothing can
induce them to fe?d, and this applies to all fresh-water fi^h, and also,
as far as my limited5 experience goes, to salt-water fish. When these
variations occur and there is no difference in the nature of the water,
as far as I can judge it depends upon the qualities of the light ; and
trout, ' jack, perch* chub, roach, and other fish, are amenable to its
influence.
The condition of the water is always important, but this does not
so much affect the Upper Wandle, which requires very heavy rain to
discolour it at all. In other rivers the brightness in the colour of the
water is of primary importance to the angler.
" Now, when the first foul torrent of the brooks,
Swell'd with the vernal rains, is ebb'd away —
And, whitening, down their mossy-tinctur'd stream
Descends the billowy foam — now is the time,
While yet the dark brown water aids the guile,
To tempt the trout." — THOMSON'S Seasons.
502 MY GARDEN.
At sunset there is a moment when the whole river seems alive, and
all the trout come to the surface. This interesting occurrence takes
place every evening in summer, but more so on some evenings than
on others ; and, as the fish come up at once, so they usually all go
down together, and the river becomes as silent as death. Our trout
do not much come out to feed before nine or ten in the morning,
and it is only during the very hottest nights that they continue
to feed till ten at night. Unless we rightly understand the ways of
the trout, we may say with Burns :—
" The trout within yon wimpling burn .
Glides .swift, a silver dart,
And safe beneath the shady thorn
Defies the angler's art."
As Grayling (Thymallus vulgaris] did not exist in the Wandle, I
determined to endeavour to acclimatize it. At first I raised young
ones from ova, but still no fish were found in the river. Resolved
to give the experiment the fullest trial, I decided to introduce large fish
into the Wandle ; and Mr. Peach, of Derby, succeeded in catching nearly
twenty brace and in transferring them safely and in good condition to
our water. 'This was a very difficult and costly experiment ; but though
many of them lived for years, and resorted to gravel spawn-beds
in spring, at the present time not only have no young fish been
observed, but all the old fish except one or two have also disappeared.
Some undoubtedly went down the stream ; but ardent followers of
Izaak Walton have been known to stand for hours together endeavouring
to catch and destroy these fish, which cost so much trouble and money
to place in the river. The destructive propensities of man are a great
impediment to acclimatization.
The utter failure of this experiment is the more remarkable, as a
similar trial was made upon the river Clyde, above Glasgow, and I have
been informed that now plenty of grayling exist where heretofore there
were none.
When I obtained the grayling, I took the opportunity of procuring
some Burbolts or Eel Pouts (Lota vulgaris}. One was caught some time
THE FISHERY. 503
afterwards about a mile below my garden, which was sent to Mr. Frank
Buckland as an unheard-of monster, but directly he saw it he exclaimed,
" That is one of Smee's fish ! " The experiment of introducing this
fish, however, was a complete failure, as with the exception of that
solitary individual, no one ever saw a burbolt in the Wandle.
Young Salmon-trout by thousands, and Char, have been reared and
placed in the Wandle at my garden, both of which were bred from ova
with which the authorities of Huningue were kind enough to supply
me, but none of the mature fish have ever been seen.
The first young Salmon placed into any tributary of the Thames,
except varieties of trout, were placed in the tributaries of the Wandle
at my garden. Many thousands were distributed in my streams, and
also in some of those that run into the river Medway near Rochester.
I have heard that occasionally salmon have been captured in the last-
named river, but not in proportion to the numbers which have been bred.
I felt so much interested in the question of the breeding of salmon that
I made a journey to Hereford to observe the salmon fry on their
pilgrimage to the sea. It was an interesting sight : thousands upon
thousands of fish from four to six inches long were swimming down the
stream in a shoal, making the water alive in their passage, and catching
the flies as they passed. Anglers were ever on the watch for a shoal,
and many were caught at that time. Penalties are enacted against
the destroyers of these juvenile salmon, but I was informed on un-
deniable authority that the magistrates liked them for breakfast, and
therefore were unable to judge accurately whether they were really
young salmon or the fry of some other fish. From the tens of thou-
sands which I saw in the act of migration to the sea, I should think
a very considerable number could be spared for the breakfast-table.
Next to the trout, the Eel (Anguilla acutirostris] is our most
important fish.
" The silver eel in shining volumes roll'd."
There are two distinct migrations of eels through my garden :
the one up the stream, of the smaller eels, in May, June, and July ;
the other, of larger eels, towards the sea, which chiefly occurs in
MY GARDEN.
July, August, and September, and even later. Eels when running up
are very pertinacious, and seem to be governed by an irrepressible
instinct. We then see them ascending the Tumbling Bay. Sometimes
the gardeners have found an eel on the path of the fernery, evidently
seeking the river. Sometimes, when they could not ascend the Tumbling
Bay, they have been seen wriggling amongst the roses near. At
Twickenham I have seen quantities of young eels about three inches
in length trying to ascend a vertical moss-covered wall over which a
small shoot of water was flowing. The small eels which run up my
stream are about a foot in length, though some are much larger.
In the migration up stream we catch them in wire baskets in which
a bunch of red flowers or some red tape is fixed ; but we take very
few in this manner.
The great migration of eels down stream occurs with the first
discoloration of water in summer : whenever a thunderstorm breaks over
Croydon in summer, which discolours the water, we get abundance of
fine eels in the great eel-trap, especially if the night be hot.
An Eel-trap is probably an engine peculiar to this country. The
Huningue commissioners were not aware of its existence when they
favoured my garden with a visit. It is an important device, as it
enables us to procure a large amount of human food which would
otherwise be lost.1
An eel-trap is really a sort of rough filter, which lets the water
through but retains the eels. The filter is constructed of bars of wood
about an inch and a half square nailed to a strong framework (fig.
1 101), which is placed below the flood-gates and arranged at an angle.
so that the water is forcibly driven through when the gate is drawn : at
the farther end there is also a vertical grating about two feet high.
1 Receipt for Stewed Eels. — Take three pounds of eels after they are cleaned, cut
them in pieces about three inches long ; flour them, and fry in lard or dripping until
half done ; have some stock ready, into which place the eels. Then mix together
two teaspoonfuls of curry-powder, one of anchovy, one of soy. and one of Windsor
or Reading sauce, one wine-glassful of port wine and a squeeze of lemon, and a little
Cayenne to your taste. The stock should be flavoured with herbs and an onion, and
thickened. Stew for about twenty minutes.
THE FISHERY.
505
When the gate is drawn, the water from the higher level of the mill-head
or lake rushes through to the lower level of the mill-tail, and the eels
arc literally filtered out and remain in the trap.
It is presumed that the large eels run down to brackish water to
spawn, and it is supposed that they ultimately perish there, and never
return to their former haunts. The little eels swarm up the rivers by
millions, and when a colony is on its upward migration it is called on
the Thames the Eel Fair.
General view.
Longitudinal section
FIG. nor.— Eel-trap.
Front.
Our eels are very excellent, and perhaps are trout-fed, as their
voracity for young fish is prodigious. I do not think that many live
in our water ; at any rate we have no evidence of it ; but I suppose
that they come from the waters between us and Croydon, and that
they merely pass through my garden in their upward and downward
migrations.
Although eels are justly esteemed as a luxurious dish in England,
Scotchmen will not touch them on any account, and no doubt countless
tons are lost in European rivers which might with proper contrivances
be secured.
Eels can be tamed, but they are restless and impatient of confine-
ment. I had a little pet eel for a long time, which ultimately died of
a surfeit. In a state of nature they are very curious creatures, and
MY GARDEN.
formerly I was familiar with many of their habits by watching them
in the river Lea, where they used to abound. They delight to live
in holes in vertical banks against which the stream sets. They look
out to see what passes, when with the velocity of lightning they dart
out and seize their prey, and retire with it into their den. If an eel-
hole is found, the eel will generally, but not always, take a worm :
if it refuses, it pushes the worm out of its hole, but may be tried
another day. Sometimes the eel takes a promenade, and on warm
evenings roams over the shallows to catch the young fish. It always
returns to its home, where it may be visited over and over again, till
it is caught. An electrical state of the atmosphere makes eels very
lively and active.
The species caught at our garden is the sharp-nosed eel.
Herodotus states that the Nile also produces the eel, which was sacred
to that river.
The Lampern (Petfontyzon fluviatilis, fig. 1102) visits my little
streams in January and February, but their object in coming is not
apparent. On warm days half a score or more amuse themselves
with making a hole in the gravel, but for what purpose I cannot ex-
plain. Sometimes they select a spot near a trout spawn-bed, and some-
FJG. 1 102.— La
FIG. 1103. — Structure of Carti'age
in the Lampern.
times another spot. Their motions are very graceful, and if they swim
away for a short distance they return to the same hollow depression.
When in the act of making this depression, their agility, and the power
which they exhibit, are prodigious. They seize hold of a stone with their
mouth, which is formed like a sucker, and then by a violent wriggling
of the tail contrive to remove it. They may visit us for the purpose
THE FISHER V.
507
of spawning, — and this is highly probable, — although I have never
seen any of their young. After a time they leave the river, but where
they go to I do not know : certain it is that no one has ever seen
a single lampern during the summer in the streams of my garden or
in other parts of the Wandle. Those which visit me are much smaller
than those found in the Thames, which are caught in considerable
quantities at Teddington and Hampton Weirs. They are sold to cod-
fishers as bait, but are excellent for human food when potted.
The anatomical character of the lampern is curious, as it has carti-
lage in the place of bones. Quekett has given a good illustration of
its structure (fig. 1103). It has seven
apertures on each side of the head,
through which it breathes, and hence
is often called Seven-eyes. By count-
ing these seven apertures with the eye
and ear, it is also often called by
the common people Nine-eyes.
We have the Bullhead (Coitus gobio, fig. 1104) in our little streams
in considerable quantities. They lie amongst the stones, and are very
voracious, devouring any young trout or ova which may come within
their reach. I have never observed any of their spawn-beds. I have
found these creatures in the trout-breeding boxes under circumstances
which made it a great puzzle how they could ever have entered
them.
FIG. 1104.— Bullhead.
FIG. iiOj. — Dace (from a drawing by Mr. Alfred'.
The Dace (Leucisciis Vulgaris, fig. 1105) inhabits the Wandle lower
down the stream, but on rare occasions a solitary one has been seen at
my garden. They are comparatively valueless in a trout-stream, and
should be carefully destroyed. Once, when fly-fishing, a shoal of very
5o8 MY GARDI-:\.
large ones rose to the surface at Mitcham, and I was able to secure a
fine specimen 'with an artificial fly.
Throughout the Wandle there are plenty of Sticklebacks of the
species called by the learned the Half-armed Stickleback, or Gastcrostcns
scmiarmatns (fig. i Tp6). They are very pugnacious and amusing
creatures. They build a nest,
and protect it. In the middle
of May, I observed a stickle-
back evidently guarding a
circle of about two inches in
FIG. 1 106.— Stickleback (from a drawing by Mr. Alfred). diameter, aild chasing away
every other fish which came within his domain. On closer examina-
tion, I saw at the bottom of the water a small circular place about
two inches in diameter, made of fibre, but arranged level with the
bottom of the stream. Suspecting a nest, I very carefully raised this
material, when it proved to contain two parcels of eggs, which were
about the size of a large pin's head. I immediately replaced the
FIG. 1107.— Stickleback's N<
material as well as I could in its former place, but Mr. Stickleback was
not at all satisfied with my arrangement, and set to work diligently to
adjust it himself. He brought little bits of fibre and thrust them into
the mass, and re-arranged the larger fibres. One parcel of eggs pro-
truded: these he dragged away, and began to devour; but I took
possession of this mass, and placed them in a jar with water plants,
where they soon after hatched into beautiful little fish. However, the
stickleback continued his work at the nest. Sometimes he would bring
THE FISHERY. 509
a piece of fibre in his mouth, and with violence thrust it into the mass >
then, at other times, he would drag his body with all his strength over
the mass to smooth it down. When he was perfectly satisfied with
what he had done he mounted guard, and rushed at any other fish
which came near him. This nest differs from that which the Rev. Mr.
Wood describes as being made by the fifteen-spine stickleback, in that
it is merely a thin covering of fibres arranged over the ova placed in a
hollow at the bottom of the river. I watched the gentleman stickle-
back for many days, and sometimes disarranged the nest for the
pleasure of seeing him re-arrange it. Afterwards I found these nests by
scores, each protected by its guardian stickleback ; and in the month
of May I can always delight rny visitors by showing them a nest
presided over by the pugnacious little fish. (Fig. 1107.)
Some years since I introduced many Tench (Tinea vulgaris] into
the river. They do not appear to have multiplied, and in fact we rarely
see one at all, so that in their case acclimatization has been a failure.
We have neither the pike, perch, pope, chub, roach, rudd, gudgeon,
minnow, bleak, nor carp in our waters.
Goldfish like warm water. I have placed these creatures in the
fern-house, some in the little lake, where the water is about 50°, and
others in the tank at the warm end of the house. Those in the warm
water were very active and playful, and it greatly amused me to give
them a piece of biscuit held tightly between my fingers, when they
would nibble at it and fight for it and seize my fingers in play. How-
ever, the cats put an end to my amusement as well as to the gambols
of the fish, as they contrived to catch them in their claws, and after
a time not one was left. Goldfish deposit their spawn on water-weeds,
and I have successfully bred them by placing the spawn in contact
with such weeds : thus pisciculture may be practised in very small
vessels under the rays of the sun.
REPTILES.
At Wallington there are no snakes ; neither the Ringed Snake
(Tropidonotus matrix], the Viper (Pelius Bcrus], nor the Slow-worm
5io
MY GARDEN.
(Anguis fragilis), have ever been seen at my garden ; although the
ringed snake has been noticed on the Sewage grounds.
The Lacerta agilis, or Active Lizard, I have occasionally observed in
the saxifrage and sempervivum gardens. This lizard is very active,
and lives on all the commons round London. The L. agilis is
tameable, but neither so tameable nor so beautiful as the green lizard
of France and Italy, which I have never found in this country. I have
brought the latter home from the forest of Fontainebleau in France ;
I have caught them in Pompeii, and have seen them by thousands on
the walls of Naples, and on the banks of the hedge-rows at the Cascina
at Florence, and on some future occasion I hope to be able to intro-
duce a colony into my garden. A number were collected for that
purpose at Florence, but they contrived to escape, and great was my
FIG. 1108.— Frog. FIG, 1109.— Toad.
anxiety lest they should make their way into the bed-room of a young
lady ill with fever, who was so foolish as to be greatly afraid of them.
The Frog (Rana temporaria, fig. 1108) exists in moderate numbers
in my garden, though we see no tadpoles in any of our small streams,
but only in one little artificial pond. Their chief food is worms and
insects.
We have the Toad also (Bufo vulgaris, fig. 1109) in moderate
quantities, but it is a most welcome visitor to the garden. We catch
toads in numbers, and place them in the fernery and glass-houses,
where they eat innumerable insects and wood-lice.
I have often kept tame toads, and some have lived with me for
years.
"The toad, ugly and venomous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head."— SHAKSPKARK.
REPTILES. 5 1 1
One winter, by some accident, a toad was sent up to London in
the hamper containing the vegetals for the house. Master Blanchet, the
cat, which always investigated the Wallington basket, was down upon
the toad in an instant, and by chance scratched out one of its eyes.
The poor toad, on being speedily rescued from the claws of the
cat, was placed in a Ward's case in my dining-room, where it soon
became perfectly tame, and was fed upon black beetles specially caught
for that purpose. It is an interesting fact that this toad, deprived
of one eye, did not strike its prey so well as toads usually do. In
a natural state toads strike their prey with the rapidity of lightning ;
they fix their two eyes upon the insect, by which they appear to judge
of its exact distance, then they protrude the tongue with a velocity
almost too great for the eye to follow, and carry the creature into their
mouth. The toad, however, cannot reach its prey from so great a
distance as the chameleon, which, after it has ogled its victim, protrudes
a tongue six or eight inches "long, using it as an organ of prehension.
It is well to teach children to love and pet toads, so that they may
be their garden allies.
My artist has copied the representations of the frog and of the
toad from the admirable figures of the Rev. J. G. Wood, who perhaps
has done more to promote a love of natural history amongst the multi-
tude than any man now living.
I have tried to acclimatize the common Land Tortoise, but without
success. These creatures ramble far away in summer, and are lost.
They delight in yellow flowers, which they see and go after from a
considerable distance. One tortoise wandered away, and was killed
during the construction of the railroad a thousand yards off. I have
also tried to acclimatize the Water Tortoise, which is a flesh feeder.
Many have been imported into my garden, and as these creatures live
as far north as Germany there are reasonable hopes that I may ulti-
mately succeed, especially as some survived the severe winter of 1870.
Some of them have strayed to the road, where they have been captured
by boys, who are sad enemies to acclimatization. The water-tortoises
are very active, and on warm days come out of the water and sun
-,2 MY GARDEN.
themselves on the bank. When disturbed they dive rapidly, and con-
ceal themselves amongst the leaves and confervse at the bottom of
the river.
Curiously enough, when at one time on a visit at Loch Lomond,
I found one evening a Hawksbill Turtle. It was nearly dead,
otherwise it would have been a fine creature to have introduced
at Wallington. How this creature could have ascended the river
Clyde and got into the Lake was a problem I was totally unable
to solve, although some of the same species are occasionally found
on the coast.
I have been kindly supplied by Dr. Giinther with ova of the
Siredon pisciformis, or Fish Lizard, which have hatched very satis-
factorily in pans in my Grapery. They grew to a certain size and
then perished, probably from the want of proper food. Dr. Giinther
strongly recommends an attempt to acclimatize them, as they are
esteemed to be good for food. Probably the water of our streams
is too cold for this South American curiosity.
MY GARDEN ANIMALS.
We generally keep one or two Dogs at the garden, and we have
had some remarkable characters amongst them ; — none more so,
however, than one called Jack. Jack lived wild in London, and
mounted guard with one of the police, accompanying him during the
night on his rounds. Jack was a general favourite, and got his
breakfast at one house and his dinner at another. When the children
and nursemaids were out he was always amongst them, and many a
child I have seen with its arms round Jack's neck, hugging him with
all its might.
However, one day a carb-driver wantonly struck Jack with his whip :
Jack resented this indignity, and never allowed the man to come into
Finsbury Circus without attempting to tear him from his seat. Com-
plaints were made to the police, who suggested that we should take
possession of the dog, to save its life ; but when we did so, loud were
GARDEN ANIMALS. 5 1 3
the grumblings of the other friends of Jack, who did not approve of
this appropriation.
The morning after he was taken into the house he jumped from the
dining-room over the area railings — a most prodigious leap. He was
then taken to Oxford by an undergraduate, and allowed to roam about,
when some bargemen, seeing a fine dog loose, endeavoured to capture
him in a net. Jack, however, pulled men and net into the river, whence
they escaped with difficulty.
When Jack was taken to Wallington by railroad, he returned by the
carriage-road, and it was with some difficulty that he could be induced
to take up his abode in the garden.
One of his tricks was to decoy away my favourite sporting dog.
Where they went we never exactly knew, but they used to return in a
day or two with their jaws smeared with blood and hair, showing that
they had visited the rabbits and hares, and had well feasted upon them.
Jack was a terrible fellow, and used to visit all the lady dogs in the
neighbourhood. One day he went to a house where many dogs were
kept, and there was a great fight ; Jack killed and maimed two or three
dogs, but was at last overpowered and literally torn to pieces, and
nothing of him remained entire but his tail, which we now possess,
mounted on a stick, and which reminds us of the miserable end of
poor Jack.
We had another dog called Gyp, who was also a remarkable
character. He never barked, but always bit, upon a reasonable pro-
vocation being given. He never allowed any sack to be carried by
a stranger, but would go straight to him and lay hold of him by the
trousers till the sack was put down.
Once, when Gyp was on a visit to Finsbury Circus, the police one
night thought they had discovered the track of a thief, and mounted
my garden wall. Gyp, however, would not allow them to enter, and
would have attacked them if he could have got upon the wall.
Gyp took great care that neither the pigs, ducks, geese, or chickens
ever took any of his food.
My sporting dog Sherry was just as amiable as Gyp was pugnacious.
L I,
5,4 MY GARDEN.
He permitted the pigs to steal his food, and so kind was he to all the
creatures that cats, chickens, ducks, and geese were permitted to share
with him his food and house, and the man who fed him was obliged
to take care that this kind old dog had not his fair share taken
from him.
In a garden situated as mine is, cats are indispensable. The cats
brought up in the garden are semi-wild in some respects, and yet often
docile. In this natural state the fur is most beautiful, and in much finer
perfection than that of the cats which dwell in our houses.
Sometimes my cats take to killing the moorhens ; at others they
delight in killing the trout, when we are compelled to destroy them ;
and one cat demolished every one of my gold-fish. When gentlemen
are fishing, the cats are sure to be hidden close at hand ; and when
the fish is landed, they pounce upon it and stealthily carry it away.
One evening — such was the impudence of one of my cats — on landing
a fish the cat started out of the hedge and dashed at the trout before
it was taken off the line. However, I was as quick as the cat, and
swinging the fish round in a circle at the risk of breaking my rod, with
the cat following, I managed to get the fish a yard ahead, when I
gave the cat a good blow with my rod, and sent her scampering back
to the bushes.
The garden cats seem to have nearly exterminated the water vole
or water-rat ; but the brown land rats come periodically in armies,
and then they are too much for the cats. One poor creature had her
ears torn to pieces by rats. After a battle with rats their consti-
tution appears to suffer, and they frequently die. I saw a cat spring
upon a mouse in a strawberry plant. She took it very carefully into
the open ground, where she released it, and when it had run three or
four yards again pounced upon it. She then took it up carefully as
though it were a kitten, and again laid it down. The poor little mouse
looked up at the cat most imploringly, when the cat fondled it with her
paw, and brought it near to her. The mouse again ran away, and was
recaptured as before, when the cat appeared to have treated it too roughly
and to have injured it. She put the mouse down and watched it for
GARDEN ANIMALS. 5 1 5
a fe\y minutes, when it was plain it could not run away. Upon this
she deliberately took the mouse by the head into her mouth, with
the tail sticking out, and champed it up as a man would a radish. It
is a curious problem why such cruelty and pain should be permitted in
the general scheme of creation ; for if a man had been as cruel to a cat
as the cat was to the mouse, the man would have been sentenced by
the nearest magistrate to a very severe punishment for being an
inhuman monster.
The cats upon the whole, though they do us some mischief by
catching the fish and killing the birds, yet do us more service by killing
the rats and mice. The mice destroy the bees which fertilize the
flowers ; they also destroy the seed, and eat our bulbs. The field
swarmed with mice when I first made my garden, but now the cats
have caused a more reasonable balance of nature.
In a secluded corner there is the grave of a remarkable long-haired
white Angola cat, which lived with us thirteen years, and was quite a
character amongst cats. Every morning he watched me at breakfast,
and, if I did not attend to him as I fed myself, would draw my hand
to his mouth. One of his peculiarities was to decoy strange cats into
the house, when he would give them a terrible mauling. But his
history is too long to recount here. He died of old age, and a
slab bearing the name of " Blanchet " covers his remains.
"'Well, Puss,' (says man,) 'and what can you
To benefit the public do?'
The Cat replies : ' These teeth, these claws,
With vigilance shall serve the cause.
The mouse, destroy'd by my pursuit,
No longer shall your feasts pollute ;
Nor rats, from nightly ambuscade,
With wasteful teeth your stores invade.'" — GAY'S Fables.
Some years ago, when snow covered the ground for a considerable
time in London, the public were puzzled by marks in a straight line
in the snow. Some foolish persons considered that they were due to
Satanic agency, upon which a talented friend of mine, now deceased,
could not resist the temptation of playing a practical joke. He wrote
L L 2
5,6 MY GARDEN.
a lucid and convincing letter to a newspaper, with fabulous quotations,
to prove that these marks were made by a Northern animal called
a Uniped. He confided to me the secret, and was convulsed with
laughter when he stated that he could not persuade those who had
read his letter that such an animal as a uniped never could have
existed. These aforesaid marks are made by Pussy, who in walking
brings the hind-foot into the hole in the snow where the fore-foot had
been before.
We very rarely have a visit from Squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris, fig.
nio), although they sometimes come to feast upon the beech-nuts.
They are easily tamed when young, and are charming companions ;
at times, however, they are apt to damage the curtains. I have had
at various times several as pets. They are hurtful in a garden, but
,. ixix."— Hedgehog.
FlG. 1 1 10. — Squirrel.
delightful ornaments to a wood, for it is extremely pleasing to see
them skipping from tree to tree upon the interlacing branches.
"The squirrel, flippant, pert, and full of play."— COWPER.
We have only once seen one Hedgehog (Erinaceus europceus, fig. 1 1 1 1)
in my grounds, though I have found the animal all round London.
These animals are carnivorous, and feed upon beetles. It is a restless
animal in confinement.
" Hedgehogs, which
Lie tumbling in my bare-foot way, and mount
Their pricks at my footfall."— SHAKSPEARE, Tempest.
Two species of Bats appear to reside with us, and delight us with
their flight in the evening. Why these interesting creatures should be
typical of the infernal regions is not easy to say, especially as they do
(JA RDEN ANIMALS. 5 1 7
us much good by killing gnats and other insects. We have not the
frugiverous bats in this country, specimens of which are to be seen in
the Zoological Gardens, which astonish us by hanging themselves up
with one leg, wrapping their wings around them, and feeding with their
head downwards. Bats are most curious creatures, and many species
live in England. I have not accurately determined the two species that
visit my garden, but one is larger than the other. I believe them
to be the Common Bat (Scotophilits murinus) and the Great Bat
(Scotopkitus noctiluca), but as I have never had one in my hand I cannot
speak with any certainty on the subject.
" Some war with rear mice for their leathern wings,
To make my small elves coats."
SHAKSPEARE, Midsummer Night's Dream.
The Mole (Talpa curopcea, fig. 1112) frequents my garden rather
more plentifully than is desirable. It is a restless animal, living mostly
in the dark, but sometimes running on the surface of the ground, when
it may be caught, but it cannot be
kept long in confinement. Although I
have had several, I never could tame
them, or even keep them alive many
hours. The mole has mere black tuber-
cles, incapable of vision, in the place FlG- Iii2--M°ie-
of eyes. The mole would be an inestimable benefit, by devouring
wireworms and other noxious insects, did it not turn up the ground
and uproot valuable plants.
A few years ago a plausible article was written in favour of the
mole, and the author recommended that the creature should be pro-
tected. This paper was generally accepted by naturalists at the time,
but the mole is mischievous in gardens, and our practice is to catch
the animal whenever it visits us. After establishing a rare plant, it
is very vexatious for a mole to uproot it. There are a large number
of these creatures in Beddington Park, but a little streamlet separates
the park from the garden, which they must traverse to make an entry.
The mole is caught by an iron trap, which is set in the run ; it is
5i8
MY GARDEN.
necessary to rub the trap with another mole to ensure much success. A
great number were caught when I first had the garden, but now they
have materially decreased.
The skin of this creature may be used for cloaks, but from the
number required such a cloak is an expensive article, and costs about
twenty guineas.
Plutarch says, that the Egyptians rendered divine honours to the
mole on account of its blindness — darkness, according to them, being
more ancient than light ; and it was always held sacred to Buh, who
was one of the most ancient Egyptian divinities.
" Pray you tread softly, that the blind mole may not
Hear a footfall."— SHAKSP BARE, The Tempest.
" The blind mole casts
Copp'd hills towards heaven, to tell, the earth is wrong'd
By man's oppression ; and the poor worm doth die for V
SHAKSPEARE, Pericles.
The Water Rat, or Vole (Arvicula amphibia, fig. 1113), lives in my
garden. It is really not a rat, but a small species of beaver. It
makes holes for itself in the banks of streams, and thus is very mis-
chievous by undermining banks of rivers and canals. It is a vegetable
feeder, and the statement that it is in the habit of devouring fish is a
false charge. It sometimes does me damage by gnawing the roots
of the trees, and rarely a winter passes without an apple or a nut-tree
FIG. 1113. — Water Rat. FIG. 1114. — Brown Rat.
having its roots cut within a few inches of the stem. We destroy the
vole by shooting it, but the cats appear to have nearly exterminated
them in my garden. When the vole takes to the water the air adheres
to the hair of the animal, and as it glides through the water below its
surface a silvery object is presented to view, which has puzzled many
persons, as in this respect it resembles the water shrew.
GARDEN ANIMAL'S. 519
We have the Brown Rat (Mus decumanus, fig. 1114), a voracious
and ferocious brute, which has been introduced into this country, and
has extirpated our national Black Rat (Mus rattus),
" Curse me the British vermin, the rat !
I know not whether he came in the Hanover ship,
But I know that he lies and listens mute
In an ancient mansion's crannies and holes." — TENNYSON.
It breeds in our place, and destroys our young chickens, injures our
cats, and eats our seeds and garden produce. A former gardener
stated that one of these creatures made a nest of a valuable specimen
of Irish fern. In autumn they occasionally visit us in colonies. They
may be poisoned by phosphoric rat paste ; but if cats, or perhaps if
pigs, eat these poisoned rats, they are liable to be also destroyed.
Phosphoric rat paste is made by preparing a mixture of oatmeal in
hot water, and then stirring in some sticks of phosphorus, which melts
and becomes disseminated through the mixture. The rat mines with
facility, and hence we have great difficulty in preventing it from
going where it chooses.
We have never seen the Black Rat at my garden, although several
have been caught at Finsbury Circus, wrhich were sent to the Zoo-
logical Gardens. Rats are readily tamed. I have seen French soldiers
at reviews with pet rats on their shoulders. I have had one which was
pleased to sit on a servant's shoulder when he traversed the heart of
London.
" A rat, a rat ! clap to the door —
The cat comes bouncing on the floor :
O for the heart of Homer's mice,
Or gods to save them in a trice." — POPE.
We have the Common Mouse (Mus musculus, fig. 1115). It is a
pretty creature, but very mischievous, eating our seeds and buds
When they are troublesome, if the cats do not destroy them, we trap
them. The phosphoric rat paste is very poisonous to them.
" The cat, with eyne of burning coal,
Now couches 'fore the mouses hole."
The Field Mouse (Mus syfaatica, fig. 1116) used to exist in vast
520
MY GARDEN.
quantities, but the cats have materially lessened their numbers. I do
not know what injury- they inflict upon us, as evidently they were far
more common before the garden was made.
FIG. 1115. — Domestic Mouse.
FIG. 1116.— Field Mouse.
The curious little Harvest Mouse (Mus messorius> fig. 1117) exists
over our district, but is rarely seen except in August. It is the
smallest of all British quadrupeds, but I have been unable to observe
its natural history.
FIG. 1118. — Short-tailed Campagnol.
FIG. 1117. — Harvest Mouse.
The Short-tailed Campagnol (A rvicola pratensis, fig. 1118) is occa-
sionally killed by the cats in our grounds, but beyond that I know
nothing of its haunts or habits.
We have many of the common Shrew Mouse (Sorex araneus, fig.
1119) in our grounds. It is a curious fact that, though the cats kill
FIG 1 1 19. — Shrew Mouse.
FIG. 1120. — Water Shrew.
this species, they do not devour it. It lives entirely upon insects and
worms, and therefore is a good ally to the gardener.
We occasionally see the Water Shrew (Sorex fodicns, fig. 1120) in
our streamlets. It is very shy, and therefore its habits are diffi-
GARDEN ANIMALS.
521
cult to observe. When it enters the water the air clings to its fur, and
hence when the sun shines it looks like a mass of. glass in the water, and
the observer is greatly puzzled as to what it can be. Those who have
the opportunity of observing the crystal chalk-water streams should
carefully watch for this curious creature. From its extreme timidity,
and the rapidity with which it dives to the bottom, the observer must
remain perfectly motionless if he wishes to watch the actions of the
little creature.
We occasionally see" the Stoat {Mustela erminea, fig. 1121), but not
often. I have seen one in the act of killing a rabbit ; a single bite at
the back of the head destroys its victim.
FIG. 1 12 1.— Stoat.
FIG. 1 122.— Weasel.
I believe we have also the Weasel (Mustela vulgaris, fig. 1122),
which, although killed by gamekeepers, is supposed to be of service
in destroying rats and mice. I cannot, however, speak from my own
knowledge as to its relative benefit or injury.
THE RABBIT.
We are fortunately not much troubled by Rabbits (Lepus cuniculus]
but occasionally a few have come from Beddington Park. When they
are numerous, the mischief they do is incalculable. I have been
informed that on one estate in Scotland the rabbits which are killed
and sold realize between /oo/. and 8oo/. a year. In spring and summer
they eat the young shoots and flowers, but in early spring they commit
wholesale ravages on young trees, of the bark of which they appear
at that time to be very fond. When the sap commences to rise,
young shoots of trees are nutritious to animals endowed with teeth
522 MY GARDEN.
competent to masticate them ; and I have been informed that in
America, when the animals hear the woodman's axe, they run to get
their share of the small shoots when the tree falls. My cattle devour
all the young shoots of tops of trees which are placed within their
reach, and bark the larger branches. On one occasion they barked
a number of walnut-trees ; so that it is necessary to protect all young
trees from cattle. The wild rabbit is capable of being tamed, when
it becomes one of the most interesting of pets.
We have not the Dormouse (Myoxus avcllanarus}, though I have
often seen it at Tunbridge. It makes a curious nest, somewhat
like that of a bird, which is often disclosed to view when the leaves
drop, when nest and dormouse may be taken at the same time. They
are common throughout Kent, and are also said to be found a few
miles below my garden. Those nests that I have found with the
mouse inside, appear to be completely closed, from which I infer that
the creature closes the aperture when it enters, and thus only a ball
of grass and leaves is exposed to view.
THE BIRDS.
" I heard a thousand pleasant notes
While in a grove I sate reclined."
WORDSWORTH.
A garden, however lovely it may be, is never complete unless it
is plentifully tenanted with birds ; and every year it is a matter
of solicitude to me to know when the nightingale arrives, and how
many have taken up their abode in my garden. My son, who more
particularly notices the different species of birds, has observed about
ninety-six in our garden ; and in Brewer's " Flora of Surrey," the
names of 115 species are recorded. Of the ninety-six which have
been noticed in or near my garden, some are rare or accidental visi-
tors, while others merely pass over in their migrations or wanderings.
Many come from the south to spend the summer with us, others from
the north to pass part of the winter, and the remainder live with us
all the year.
THE BIRDS. 523
Our water is the resort of various water-birds. One winter,
during the cold weather, we had a visit from the Hooper Swan
(Cygnns fcrus, fig. 1123). He alighted on the lake, and remained
peaceably on the same piece of water with the other swans, though
he kept at a respectful distance from them. When the period of
FIG. 1123. — Hooper Swan.
incubation came, the common swans would no longer tolerate his
presence, and drove him ignotniniously frcm the lake.
" Behold as with a gushing impulse heaving
That downy prow, and softly cleaving
The mirror of the crystal flood."— WORDSWORTH.
On the island we have a swannery, where the Common Swans
(Cygnns olor, fig. 1124) build and rear their young. Sometimes they
have five, at others seven at a brood. When first hatched the old birds
continually guard their young, which at the slightest alarm run up
the back of the female swan, and are carried about by her between
her wings.
" So doth the swan her downy cygnets save,
Keeping them prisoner underneath her wings."
SHAKSPEARE.
On these occasions the male swan remains near at hand, and is
ready to fight all aggressors ; and woe to any dog which shall come
within his reach. He does not, however, carry the young swans on his
back. I once knew a rat to build its nest in a hole near a swan's
nest. The male bird having discovered it, thrust his beak into the
524 MY GARDEN.
hole, and each time brought out a young rat, which he crunched
with his powerful beak.
The young birds attain a fair size by Michaelmas, about which
time we usually catch them to be fattened. For this purpose they
are placed in a pen in the watercress brook and fed with biscuits
and corn— a rather expensive process, as at Norwich, where this plan
is followed out, the charge for fattening a swan is one sovereign.
The birds are often of great weight, and when killed require to be
kept two or three weeks to make them tender ; they are then
FIG. 1124.— Common Swan.
roasted, when they taste somewhat like wild duck, and should be
eaten, like them, with lemon and cayenne pepper.
Before Christmas the old swans begin to drive their young, when,
if not pinioned — that is, having their wings amputated at the elbow
joint — they will rise from the water, soaring aloft in the most grace-
ful manner, and visit some other locality. These flying swans are
a great ornament to the neighbourhood, for a flight of six or seven
swans is a fine sight. Pinioning is necessarily practised on wild ducks,
geese, and other ornamental water-fowl on small extents of water,
or otherwise they would surely fly away and be lost.
I was advised to keep swans by Professor Owen, in order to
lessen the American water- weed (Anacharis\ and this advice has
proved to be most excellent, as a pair of old swans with their
progeny devour and destroy a prodigious amount of this weed in
THE BIRDS.
525
the course of a year. Our swans are only fed in the spring, but it
is found to be a good plan to give them soaked biscuit from the
middle of January till May, as a female swan once died during the
period of nidification and incubation, possibly from inadequate nourish-
ment for that period.
Mr. Frank Buckland, speaking of swans in relation to the
destruction of the spawn of fish, says, " Found guilty." As far,
however, as the destruction of trout spawn is concerned I say,
"Innocent," as I have no reason to suspect that my swans have ever
touched the trout spawn-beds.
" The stately-sailing swan
Gives out his snowy plumage to the gale ;
And arching proud his neck, with oary feet
Bears forward fierce, and guards his osier-isle,
Protective of his young." — THOMSON'S Seasons.
We keep a few white Call Ducks on the water, which are amusing
on account of their vivacity. The noise they make is astonishing,
and they are useful to decoy down wild duck, widgeon, and teal as
they pass over. Their bills are highly endowed with nerves, so that
FIG. 1126.— Teal.
H
FIG. 1125.— Wild Duck.
when they put their heads under water they can find and success-
fully extract every ovum from the spawn-bed. For this reason, wherever
trout are of importance bird should be prevented from visiting the
water. It is the female bird whose noisy call apparently attracts and
decoys the wild bird. The note of the drake is less distinct — being
526
AIY GARDEN.
more of a whistle, — especially in the breeding season, and is not unlike
the whistle of the widgeon. The young call-ducks which were reared
last year, were taught by the gardener to dive for their food. It is very
amusing to throw some bar-
ley into the lake and watch
them dive, and feed under
the water. The parent birds,
however, have never been
noticed to dive : I am un-
certain whether this habit of
diving is natural, or has only
FIG. 1127.— widgeon. been acquired by training.
During the winter season we have the Wild Duck (Anas Boschas,
fig. 1125), the Teal (Querquedula crecca, fig. 1126), the Widgeon (Anas
Penelope, fig. 1127), and the Tufted Duck (Fuligula cristata, fig. 1128).
In January 1871, our gardener shot on the mill-head a female
Smew (Mci'gus albellns, fig. 1129). On the coast of Norfolk this bird is
FIG. 1128.— Tufted Duck.
FIG. 1129. — Smew or Since Duck.
called the Smee Duck, but how it obtained our name I know not.
It is a remarkable fact that almost all the specimens of this bird
which have been shot in this country have been female or immature
birds, and it is probable that the adult males seldom visit our shore.
The adult male is an elegant and handsome bird. Although in
winter its plumage consists of only black and white, it is nevertheless
THE BIRDS.
527
very handsome and conspicuous, and would make a capital mark for the
gun of the sportsman. These birds are said to be very shy, rapid
and expert divers, and more impatient of cold than the duck tribe
generally. Little is known of the
time or the place of its breeding.
FIG. 1130. — Little Grebe, ,th nat. size.
FIG. 1131.— Sclavoi-ian Grebe, Jth nat. >
\Ye have always the Little Grebe, or Dabchick (Podiceps minor,
fig. 1130), on the water, although in limited numbers, which is curious,
as on another mill-head near Croydon they exist in great abun-
FIG. 1132.— Water Rail, Jih nat. size.
FIG. 1133. — Land Rail, Jth nar. size.
dance. They dive for food, and are rather shy, so that I have
never been able, at my garden, to observe much of their natural
528
MY GARDEN.
history. They are more frequent in winter than in summer, and occa-
sionally breed with us. A specimen of the Sclavonian Grebe (Podiceps
cornutus, fig. 1131) has once been obtained from our water.
The Water Rail (Rallus aquatiais, fig. 1132) has been seen in
winter during the last few years ; and the Land Rail (Crex pratensis^
fig. 1133) has been heard in the meadows in summer.
Moorhens (Gallinula chloropus, fig. 1134) exist in large numbers
on our water, and are a great ornament to the lake. They breed
freely with us, and sometimes construct their nests in the bulrushes
just above the water-line, and sometimes in the bushes ; and one which
FIG. 1134. — Moorhen.
FIG. 1135. — Moorhen's Nest.
I have figured (fig. 1135) was made in a black-currant bush. It is
interesting to see the moorhen, when the little brood are hatched,
conducting them over the Jake, and showing them where food is to
be found. The swans quarrel with them, especially the male swan,
which cruelly kills the young ones when he can get at them. I once
saw a moorhen heroically defend her young brood. She assumed a
defiant attitude and flew at the swan, taking care to keep out of
reach of his bill. By this manoeuvre the swan's attention was diverted,
and the young birds, being much frightened, betook themselves, with
the exception of one which was cruelly crushed up by the swan and
killed, to safe quarters amongst the flags. If food be scarce, the
moorhens do some damage by eating the lettuces and cabbages ;
otherwise they feed exclusively upon the water-weeds. These birds,
from being seldom molested, become bold, and will walk about the
THE BIRDS.
5-9
lawns by the river-side during the day, but they always retain their
crafty and skulking habits. I have seen them take to the tops of the
highest trees, after my son has had two or three shots at them, or
else they will skulk in the hedge- rows, and not be seen again for
some days. It is said that these birds can submerge their bodies, just
keeping the top of their beak above water for breathing, thus eluding
observation.
The Baldfaced Coot (Fulica atra, fig. 1136) has visited our water
the last two or three years, and two were shot as specimens
otherwise it is desirable to retain them as call-birds.
FIG. 1136.— Bald-faced Coot, £th nat. size.
FIG. 1137. — Heron.
Wild Geese have been seen crossing over the garden, but have
never been known to settle.
The Heron (Ardea cinerea, fig. 1137) comes to our water, and,
though so elegant on the wing and so interesting to observe, is not
altogether a welcome visitor, especially as he delights to come at
night. The heron is most destructive to trout : he stands on the
shallows, and when a trout comes near him it is instantly transfixed
with the heron's powerful beak. Many a large fish is thus destroyed
besides those which are devoured, and hence they are doubly
destructive. If a person wants herons, he cannot have fish ; and
M M
530
MY GARDEN.
if fish are wanted, it is impossible for him to keep herons. It is
usual on the Upper Wandle to watch for the herons at night, and
shoot them. They are also frequently taken in rabbit traps.
There is no heronry around us, although they build on the tops
of the tallest trees. The nearest one to us that I have heard of is
at Cobham Park, near Gravesend ; there is another at Claremont,
on the river Mole. Formerly they built at Wanstead, and I have
FIG. 1138.— Woodcock, $th nat. size.
FIG. 1139. — Common Snipe, £th nat. size.
seen a nest at Chigwell in Essex : probably our herons come from
Clarempnt. I have also heard of a heronry in Windsor Park. These
birds visit Beddington Park and the upper part of my water.
A bird supposed to be a Crane (Grits cinerca) appeared in the
Park every evening for fifteen or sixteen days, in February '1871,
but it was never absolutely authenticated.
FIG. ,,40,-Jack Snipe. FiaT ix^-Sandpiper.
The Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola, fig. 1138) visits the garden, and
two species of snipes: the Common Snipe (Scolopax gallinago, fig. 1139),
which is found abundantly on the Sewage grounds every winter;
THE BIRDS.
53*
and the Jack Snipe (Scolopax gallinitla, fig. 1 140), which, though
fewer in number, is constantly flushed every winter. It is pleasant
to walk round our ferneries or rosaries during frost and snow and
put up a snipe.
The Summer Snipe, or common Sandpiper (Totanus hypoleucos ,
fig. 1141), visits the garden sparingly every year. The Green Sandpiper
( Totanus Ochropus] has also been occasionally seen. The Whimbrel and
Curlew have been heard crossing over of an evening during their
/
FIG. 1142. — Peewit.
autumn migration. Gulls have not often been observed, and when
seen have generally been flying very high. The gull has once been
noticed by the gardener swimming in the mill-pond. The Peewit
(Vanellus cristattis, fig. 1142) visits the Sewage grounds; and my
gardener states that he has seen the Golden Plover (Charadrius
pluvialis) in winter in Beddington Park. A stray Partridge (Perdix
cinerea, fig. 1 143) and Pheasant visit us now
and then, and one Quail has been seen in
one of our meadows. Partridges exist
in fair quantities on the downs, and
pheasants used formerly to be preserved
in the Park.
The Turtle Dove (Columba Tnrtur, fig.
1 144) appears in the district in August, and
the Stock Dove (Columba cenas}, a very shy bird, also frequents the
neighbourhood.
" The stock-dove, unalarm'd,
Sits cooing in the pine-tree, nor suspends
His long love-ditty for my near approach."— COWPER.
M M 2
~**f /s*> ^^*^--\
7-X ^
Fie,. 1144. — Turtle Dove, Jth nat. size.
532
MY GARDEN.
The Wood Pigeon (Columba Palumbus, fig. 1 145) lives with us all
the year round, and breeds every year in the trees bounding my garden
and throughout Beddington Park. At times they water at the Central
brook, and then they come every day for that purpose. The wood-
pigeon is an interesting bird. In the Tuileries Gardens at Paris
they used to sit, sometimes a dozen
or more, on the bare branches of
the trees. Whenever I went to Paris,
I always paid my respects to the
wild wood-pigeons, and bestowed
upon them some crumbs from my
breakfast-table. It was pleasing to
see, in the midst of a great city,
one of the wildest of birds coming
to call from the top of high trees
FIG. ,,4S._wood Pigeon, fcth nat. size. to take bread frorxi the hand, and
even from the lips, of man. But my son, who visited Paris in
December 1871, has informed me that all is now changed, and that he
did not see a single wood-pigeon in the Tuileries Gardens, although
he expressly looked for them. Whether this timid bird was driven
from Paris by the German bombardment, or was scared away by
the terrible conflagrations during the last days of the Commune,
or whether they were killed for food during the first siege, will pro-
bably never be known. I should like my garden all the better if I
could do the same there with the wood-pigeons as I used to do in
the Tuileries Gardens, for anyone may tame this wild and shy bird
by kindness and gentleness; but there are too many ruthless de-
stroyers of the feathered tribes around the district.
In the autumn of 1869 flocks of wood-pigeons, at intervals, in
numbers from ninety to five hundred, crossed my garden, generally
in the forenoon, and flew in a SS.W. direction. On the 3rd January,
1870, probably six or seven thousand crossed from the north-east to
the south-west. The birds appeared tired, and settled on some tall
elms, but after resting a short time they again "took to wing. For
THE BIRDS. 533
some weeks after that time not a pigeon was to be seen in the neigh-
bourhood, but in the beginning of March they reappeared as usual.
" Ring-dove beauteous, is the face
Of man so hateful, that his sight
Startles thee, in wild affright,
From beechen resting-place?" — MoiR.
The Rock Dove (Columba Liria) builds in holes in rocks, but
I do not know whether it breeds near my garden. The rock
dove is the parent of the home pigeon, which is so useful for pigeon
telegraphy. Mr. Tegetmeier has stated that during the siege of
Paris about three hundred trained pigeons belonging to a Belgian
gentleman were sent by balloon from the capital, and were employed
to carry despatches from thence. The messages were set up in type
and photographed in collodion, so minutely that they could not be
deciphered by the unaided eyesight, but when placed under the micro-
scope they could be distinctly read and perfectly copied. These aerial
messengers baffled the military skill of the Germans, who in their turn
employed hawks to kill the pigeons, but, it is believed, with little or no
success. Before electro-telegraphy was discovered pigeons were exten-
sively employed for telegraphic purposes, and when I was a boy large
establishments existed not far from my home. I used to keep pigeons,
which returned over and over again when sent away. It is believed by
some persons that pigeons possess an inherent power or instinct which
enables them to find their way home from very great distances ; but this
is not the fact. They require to be carefully trained, and taught the
way to their home by repeated journeys, which is done in the following
manner. A bird is selected with large brain, showing natural intelli-
gence, and with a finely formed wing with large broad feathers and
straight when expanded. Having selected a promising bird, he is taken
a short distance the first day ; on the second the distance is doubled,
^and so on from stage to stage till a distance of five hundred miles is
attained. A good bird will fly a hundred miles in one hour, and
forty-five miles an hour for eight consecutive hours, so the velocity
in long journeys is great. When making long flights pigeons rise to
53 1 MY GARDEN.
such an altitude that they are scarcely visible by the naked eye, and
therefore are safe from gun-shot. From the experience which the late
war has afforded, pigeons, though the emblems of peace, may become
useful accessories in war. For two thousand years the pigeon has been
used as a letter-carrier. Shakspeare alludes to the circumstance of
pigeons being thus employed :—
" News, news from heaven !
Marcus, the post is come."
I have never seen the Goatsucker, or Nightjar (Caprimulgus euro-
pceus\ in or about my garden, although a few miles off the bird is
common in the same county, at Weybridge, where its silent flight
towards night is a very interesting feature. The Swift (Cypselus Apus,
fig. 1146) abounds in our district. Its scream is very pleasing as it
dashes by, and nowhere is this observed more in perfection than at
Florence, where the continuous lines of birds which scream past the
window make such an impression on the ear as never to be forgotten.
" To mark the swift in rapid giddy ring
Dash round the steeple, unsubdued of wing."
GILBERT WHITE.
The Sand Martin (Hirundo riparia, fig. 1147) may be seen skim-
ming over the lake, but it does not breed near to the garden. The
House Martin (Hirundo urbica, fig. 1148) is a constant visitor, and
is the most numerous of all the Hirundinae.
"As swift as swallow flies."— SHAKSPEARE.
The Swallows (Hirundo rustica, fig. 1149) receive from us every
hospitality, and they build, on the rafters of our large summer-house.
77/7-; BIRDS.
535
Each year they occupy two nests (fig. 1150), and it is a curious fact
that if the nests are in a tolerable condition they are used over and
over again, although from the situation in which these nests are placed
it is difficult to believe that any other but the same birds, or their young
ones raised in the same spot, could by any possibility have found them
FIG. 1147.— Sand Marti
FIG 1148. — House Martin.
In this summer-house we frequently have many visitors, when the
poor birds are somewhat scared ; even then, they contrive to feed their
young, though the old birds show timidity, and often sit upon the
railing outside for some little time before they can summon up
FIG. 1149. — Swallow.
FIG. 1150. - SvvaLow's Nest.
courage to enter. However, the powerful instinct which prompts the
birds to feed their young at length prevails, when they sweep into the
house, and in an instant fly away again to obtain more food. The
young birds sleep away their time till the parents come to feed them,
when they take the food and sleep again.
" A bird awakened in its nest
Gives a faint twitter of unrest,
Then smooths its plumes and sleeps again."
LONGFELLOW.
536 MY GARDEN.
The Swallows leave their eggs many hours at a time, when the
eggs feel quite cold to the touch ; nevertheless, the birds are hatched
in due time.
" How fair the scene !
I wish I had as lovely a green
To paint my landscapes and my leaves !
How the swallows twitter under the eaves !
There now ! there is one in her nest ;
I can just catch a glimpse of her head and breast,
And will sketch her thus in her quiet nook." — LONGFELLOW.
When the time of migration arrives, they appear to leave Europe
at the same time from all parts. One year, in October, I travelled
hastily to the Mediterranean after the swallows had left England,
and then found that they had also left France ; but whence they
come and where they go, no one can precisely tell : probably Africa
is their winter dwelling-place. Herodotus says that swallows are
never known to be absent from Egypt.
The Kingfisher (Alcedo Ispida, fig. 1151) is a bird with plumage of
great beauty, but it is of rapid flight and shy habits. It has bred in
our grounds, in holes in the bank of the
river, and generally in the burrows of the
water rat. The situation of its nest may
be known by the bones of fish which are
strewn about the orifice. It has a sharp
and shrill cry. Although destructive to
small fish, the kingfisher is always tolerated
FIG. n5i -Kingfisher. for ^Q beauty of its plumage. I have seen
it through the greenhouse windows sitting on our breeding boxes,
and in spring the birds have terrible combats for the mastery.
The merry Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus, fig. 1152), the "messenger of
spring," visits our grounds every year, and frequents the high trees on
the north-east side of the garden. Some years ago I remember a sur-
prising number of young birds to have been bred at the Horse-shoe
Point on the river Lee, at Upper Clapton ; and though more than a
dozen were shot, yet every day a great cuckoo might be seen being
THE BIRDS.
537
fed in the most affectionate manner by a very little bird, in the nest of
which.it was reared. In the year 1871, a young cuckoo was caught at
my garden and placed in the Poor Man's house. The foster-mother,
a sedge-warbler, found it out, and came into the house and fed it
FIG. 1152. — Cuckoo, Jth nat. size.
FIG. 1153. — Nuthatch.
regularly, till one day the cuckoo contrived to escape through a broken
pane of glass, and was no more seen. It was strange to see so small
a foster-mother rearing so large a foster-child, and to be seemingly so
fond of it.
" O blithe new-comer ! I have heard,
I hear thee, and rejoice :
O cuckoo ! shall I call thee bird,
Or but a wandering Voice?"— WORDSWORTH.
Mr. Harting, in his charming book on "The Birds of Shak-
speare," states that the oldest sample of English secular music pre-
served amongst the Harleian MSS. (No. 978) thus notices the
cuckoo : —
Murie sing, Cuccu !
Cuccu ! cuccu !
Well singes thu, Cuccu !
Ne swih thu naver nu."
(Merrily sing, Cuckoo !
Cuckoo ! Cuckoo !
Well singest thou, Cuckoo !
Mayest thou never cease.)
The Nuthatch (Sitta eiwopcea, fig. 1153) has been shot in Bed-
dington Park, but, owing to its active and shy habits, is not often seen.
This bird is able to traverse the trunks of trees, not only upwards,
533
MY GARDEN.
like the Tree Creeper, but downwards, head first, as in fig. 1153. A
friend of my son, Mr. W. H. Power, has noticed this bird carry off
acorns from an evergreen oak, but what it did with them he was
never able to discover.
The Wren (Troglodytes vulgaris, fig. 1154) is one of our constant
residents, and endears itself to us by its song, and by its pretty little
ways. It delights to build in our summer-houses, and when we take
refreshment there, it is most amusing to see the little creature come to
feed its young ones, as it uses the most cunning devices to enter and
to leave unseen ; it climbs up the rafters, and, having fed its young,
drops out of the nest and rapidly flies away. I have observed that this
A
FIG. 1154.— Wren.
FIG. 1155.— Wren's Nest.
bird, when it brings food to the nest, takes away all the droppings
of the young birds to a distance ; but whether for sanitary purposes
or to prevent the discovery of the nest, I do not know. We have
always many wrens' nests (fig. 1155) in the grounds,— some in our
summer-houses, some in trees, and one was built last year in an old
stump in such a situation that it was impossible to pass without touch-
ing it, and yet it was never found by any of our cats, nor do I remember
that the prying eyes of any of my young children friends ever saw
it till I pointed it out, and then they were delighted to gratify their
curiosity by putting in their little fingers to feel the eggs ; and after
the young birds were hatched the children were in raptures when the
young birds mistook their finger for their mother, and opened their
mouths for food.
THE BIRDS.
539
The Creeper (CertJiia familiaris, fig. 1156) runs over our trees in
search of insects, but I know little or nothing of its natural history.
FIG. 1156. — Creeper.
JV
FIG. 1157. — Wryneck.
Last year the gardener found a young Wryneck ( Yunx torquilla,
1157). He placed it in the Poor Man's house, where it soon dis-
covered an ant's nest. It devoured all the so-
called eggs in a few days, and then died.
FIG. 1159.— Jay, Jth nat. size.
FIG. 1158. — Spotted Woodpecker
The handsome Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis) has been observed
only once, but the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Picus minor, fig. 1158)
has been seen on several occasions. One of the special peculiarities of
the green woodpecker is its very long tongue, which it uses as an organ
of prehension to take insects. In a street in Paris there were a few
years ago two tame birds placed in cages one above the other : it
amused me much to see the bird in the lower one craftily attempt-
540
MY GARDEN.
ing, by means of its long tongue, to steal the food from the one in
the upper cage. The length of tongue reminded me of the chameleon,
though the woodpecker took its food slowly, and not with the rapid
dart of the chameleon. Why the Woodpecker should be called unlucky
is not very apparent ; nevertheless the bard sings : —
" Teque nee laevus vetet ire picus,
Nee vaga cornix." — HORACE, Ode 27.
An occasional Jay (Corvus glandarius, fig. 1159) has been seen,
but they are more commonly resident in large woods, where they are
destructive to the eggs of birds.
Magpies (Pica caudata, fig.
1 1 60) have been observed in
my grounds, but they are
scarce throughout the district.
They are charming, active
birds for pets. One which
used to breakfast with me
every morning was always
FIG. n6o.-MagPie. jntent upon securing the
butter; and when I resided in the Bank of England, a pet I had
then used to get into the offices and hide the pens and upset the
ink. Another great amusement of his was to pull the dog's tail when
he was asleep, and hop away before he could be caught.
Jackdaws (Corvus monedula,
fig. Ii6i) abound, and are
sometimes troublesome, as they
come in flocks when the gar-
deners are at dinner, and in a
few minutes devour a whole
crop of peas.
We have the Carrion Crow
(Corvus corone, fig. 1162). A few
Hooded Crows (Corvus comix], formerly considered to be sacred to
FIG. 1161. — Jackdaw
THE BIRDS. 541
Apollo, have been seen on two or three occasions, but in the neigh-
bouring- county of Kent they are very common, and breed.
There are rookeries, and abundance of Rooks (Corvus frugilegus,
fig. 1163), all around us. There was once a large rookery in Bedding-
ton Park on large trees —
"Towns aerial on the waving trees "—THOMSON'S Seasons.
which have since been cut down. One summer evening I was greatly
amused by a little incident which disturbed the equanimity of the rooks.
Fir,. 1162.— Head of Crow, Jrd nat. size.
FIG. 1163.— Rook, Jth nat. size.
A balloon passed over their nests, and the birds set up such a chatter
at its approach as was never before heard. When, however, in spite of
their protests, it still approached and swept directly over head, the birds
thought it prudent to retire, when they flew away in two great columns,
one to the north and the other to the south, and after wheeling in circles
returned to their quarters when the balloon had passed. If we could
but have understood their language, we should doubtless have heard
many speculations as to what that uncouth monster could have been.
The Starling (Sturnus vnlgaris, fig. 1164) breeds in the stumps of
the old trees around us. In autumn they assemble, and migrate in
large flocks from the marshes on the Thames.
We have the Bullfinch (Pyrrhula vulgaris, fig. 1165). This bird
destroys the buds, but I do not think it has ever done us much harm.
It is a charming bird: the one I have at home, which has been
taught to pipe by an indefatigable German, delights me with his
rich melodious voice whenever I tell him to sing me his song.
542
MY GARDEN.
The Lesser Redpole (Fringilla Linotd) comes to us in autumn. The
common Linnet (Fringilla cannabina, fig. 1166) visits the garden in
scanty numbers. This is peculiarly the poor man's bird. It appears to
FIG. 1164.— Starling. Fir" 1165.— Bullfinch.
be much excited when it "pours forth his song in gushes," and I shall
ever remember the delight which a caged bird, kept by a neighbour,
afforded to me once when I was confined to bed for a few days in
early spring.
" Books ! — 'tis a dull and endless strife :
Come, hear the woodland linnet,
How sweet his music J On my life
There's more of wisdom in it." — WORDSWORTH.
Only one or two of the beautiful Goldfinches (Fringilla Carduelis,
fig. 1167) have been noticed. The Goldfinch has become much more
FIG. 1166. — Li
FIG. 1167.— Goldfinch.
scarce in the southern counties of England than it used to be. I have
seen large flocks farther down, on the Brighton downs, but even there
they have of late years materially decreased in number. One of the
great charms of the redpole and of the goldfinch is the manner in
THE BIRDS.
543
which they use their feet as organs of prehension, holding the food in
their feet whilst they take it with their beak.
The Hawfinch (Fringilla Coccothraustes, fig. 1168) visits us and
probably occasionally breeds. An adult bird which was killed by
flying against the orchard-house, appeared from the state of its
plumage to have been nesting. The Greenfinch (Fringilla Chloris,
fig. 1169) also visits us in numbers.
Ben Jonson says, "The finches' carol."
FIG. 1168. — Hawfinch, Jth nat. size.
FIG. 1169. — Greenfinch.
The irrepressible House Sparrow (Fringilla domestica, fig. 1170)
occasionally comes in large flocks, and then leaves us again. They
do the garden little, if any, damage; though they know the time for
feeding the poultry, when they always come down for their share.
FIG. 1170. — House Sparrow.
FIG. 1171. — Chaffinch.
We have the Tree Sparrow (Fringilla montana} and the Chaffinch
(Fringilla ccelebs, fig. 1171). The chaffinch arrives in large numbers
in severe weather, but I cannot endorse the opinion of the Thurin-
gians, who consider it to be the best of all singing birds. We have
also at times the Yellow-hammer (Etnberiza citrinclla}.
544 MY GARDEN.
There are abundance of Sky-larks (Alauda arvensis, fig. 1172)—
" gay lark of hope " — on the downs, but they rarely appear in our
garden, to rejoice us with their " heaven-gate " song.
" Soon as Aurora lights the dawn,
The lark, at early hour,
Carols forth the rosy morn
High from its heavenward tower." — ANON.
The speciality of the lark is to sing when upon the wing, so that
another poet well observes :—
" Higher still, and higher,
From the earth thou springest :
Like a cloud of fire
The blue deep thou wingest,
And singing still dost soar, and soaring ever singest."
SHELLEY.
Vast flocks of these birds cross over after snow, and fly in a south-
west direction. The winter of 1870-71 was especially remarkable for the
number and size of the flocks. The Wood-lark (Alauda arbor ed] has
been heard about the place, but I have never observed it, though I have
FIG. 1172. -Skylark.
heard its delightful note in the county, both at Richmond Park and at
Weybridge. Its rich, melodious, although by no means varied song is
very exciting to some people, and there are many persons in
London who are never without wood-larks, the song of which
greatly delights me as I traverse the London streets.
The Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) lives in our field. At least
three species of Wagtail frequent my garden. The Pied Wagtail
(Motacilla Yarrclli, fig. 1173) is our common species ; the Grey-bearded
THE BIRDS.
545
Wagtail (Motacilla Boaruld] and Ray's Wagtail (Motacilla Rayi) have
also been observed, but of these two latter I have no knowledge. The
pied wagtails sometimes build their nests and rear their young in our
garden ; they are very ornamental, from their quick movements and
rapid mode of running after the flies and insects on which they feed.
Five species of Titmice grace the garden with their presence.
Sometimes they do good by destroying the insects, and sometimes
they do much harm by devouring the fruit. They are charming
birds, — particularly the Blue Titmice (Pants cceruleus, fig. 11/4), which
are most beautiful and interesting creatures. Twice a year they come
to the garden in flocks : once in the early spring, when they pick
FIG. 1174. — Blue Titmouse, Jth nat. size.
out the blossom buds of the pear, and especially of the Doyenne
d'Ete ; and again in the autumn, when the pears are full-grown, at
which time they make a little hole in the fruit : thereby exposing it to
the ravages of wasps or of other insects, or admitting the spores of
fungi which cause it to prematurely rot. In this way a flock of titmice
will destroy a large crop of fruit in two or three hours. In winter
they do incalculable good by destroying the eggs of insects, and, later
in the season, even the insects themselves. Regarding them simply
from a utilitarian point of view, it is immaterial to me whether my
plant is destroyed by a caterpillar or by a titmouse, so when they
come as a devouring army my gardeners scare them away by firing
upon them and killing one or two ; and as all creatures are greatly
terrified at the sight of the dead bodies of their own species, they
N \
546
MY GARDEN.
generally decamp forthwith to other places where they are not so
cruelly treated.
We have also the Greater Titmouse (Pants major, fig. 1175), the
Cole Tit (Pants ater, fig. 1176), the Marsh Tit (Parus palustris\
and the Long-tailed Tit (Parus caudatus, fig. 1177). .In the severe
winter of 1870-71, when many of the small birds perished from cold
and hunger, they were so pressed for food that they were readily
caught in a trap baited with a piece of fat bacon. Several titmice
Fu;. 1176. — Cole Titmouse.
FIG. 1177.— Long-tailed Titmouse.
FIG. 1178. — Golden-crested
Wren.
thus procured were placed by the gardener in the fernery, where they
enjoyed the genial temperature, and soon made themselves very much at
home ; they cleared every plant of aphis, coccus, or any other insect
they could find, and when I had my luncheon were quite ready to
share with me my frugal repast. But at the very earliest oppor-
tunity they proved themselves unthankful for the kindness shown
to them, and flew away through the first crack in the glass they
could find. The long-tailed titmouse is remarkable for the beauty
of its long nest, which is greatly prized by boys.
The Golden-crested Wren (Regulus cristattts, fig. 1178) visits us, but
I do not remember to have seen its suspended nest, which is generally
fixed in a fir-tree. It is the smallest of all birds, and towards autumn
congregates in the woods round London, at Weybridge, and also in Hert-
fordshire, where hundreds may frequently be observed flying from tree
to tree, picking out every insect and every insect's egg they can find.
My garden is rich in Warblers. The Grasshopper Warbler (Sylvia
locustella] has been heard. The Sedge Warbler (Sylvia Phrag-
THE BIRDS.
547
mites, fig. 1179) constantly builds with us. This bird may be known
by its note, which is repeated over and over again, and conveys the
idea that it will never stop. It is a charming and right merry
FIG. 1179. — Sedge Warbler.
FIG. 1 180.- Reed Warbler.
summer bird. The Reed Warbler (Sylvia arundinacca, fig. 1180
constantly builds with us. This bird appears to be able to vary
the character of its nest, from its deep normal form (fig. 1181) to
the shape shown in fig. 1182. The latter nest was built in a
stiff bush (privet). Mr. W. H. Power has noticed the latter form
FIG. 1182.— Reed Warbler's Nest.
FIG. 1181. — Reed Warbler's Nest.
when the nest had been constructed in a lilac bush. He considers
that the deep pendulous form is constructed to prevent the eggs
being thrown out by the wind bending the slim, pliant reeds. The
Blackcap (Currnca atricapilla, fig. 1183) has a note of good quality.
N N 2
548
MY GARDEN.
Besides these, we have the Garden Warbler (Sylvia hortcnsis), the
Whitethroat (Curruca cincrcd], the Lessor Whitethroat (Currnca
FIG. 1183.- Blackcap
FIG. 1184.— Chiff-chaff.
sylviella), the Wood Warbler (Sylvia sylvicold], and the Chiff-chaff
(Sylvia Trochilus, fig. 1184).
Lastly,, above all the other warblers, and unquestionably superior in
song to any other feathered visitor of
my garden, the Nightingale (Philomela
Luscinia, fig. 1185) charms us with its
sweet melody.
" Sweet bird, that shunn'st the noise of folly,
Most musical, most melancholy,
Thee, chauntress, oft the woods among
I woo, to hear thy evening song."
Fi<?. 1185.— Nightingale. MlLTON.
The neighbours tell me that before I occupied my garden the
nightingale was never known to visit the field, so doubtless the shrubs
and little trees are an attraction.
" Where nightingales their love-sick ditty sing :
See, meads with purling streams, with flowers the ground,
The grottoes cool, with shady poplars crown'd ! "
DRYDEN.
Nightingales arrive about the mjddle of April in each year. They
are not so common in the valley of the Wandle as they are in the
valley of the Darenth and in many parts of Essex. They are not
so plentiful at Florence as they are in England, but on the Lake of
: BIRDS.
549
Belinzona their voices resound from every bush, and in the Eternal
City they are carefully tended in cages.
" O nightingale, that on yon blooming spray
Warblest at eve, when all the woods are still,
Thou with fresh hope the lover's heart dost fill,
While the jolly Hours lead on propitious May." — MlLTON.
A pair of Stonechats (Saxicola rubicola, fig. 1186) roosted for
nearly a month on the bulrushes in the mill-head during the autumn
of 1870, but this bird is rather a resident on commons than among
FIG. 1186. — Stonechat.
FIG. 1187.— Wheatear.
the shrubs of gardens. It may be known by its cry, which
resembles the noise of two stones being struck together. The Whinchat
(Saxicola rnbctra) and the Wheatear (Saxicola cenanthe, fig. 1187),
although they have not been observed in my garden, are to be
found in the neighbourhood, on Mitcham Common.
The Hedge Sparrow (Accentor modularis)
may be observed flitting about from bush
to bush ; but from its quiet unobtrusive
manner, and the unpretending and sober
colour of its plumage, frequently escapes the
notice of the casual observer.
After the nightingale, there is no soft-
billed bird more charming than the Robin
(Erythaca rubccnla, fig. 1188). I delight in the clear shrill of the
Redbreast, and love him most dearly, but I cannot convey my en-
thusiasm to other people, as few will admit that they care for the
note of this bird, although no one will deny that they admire his
FIG. 1 188.— Redbreast.
5 5o MY GARDEN.
form and his action. Redbreasts breed with us, and are as familiar as
they are in most other gardens. One always accompanies me when
I am at work, and pounces upon the turned-up worm, and then sits
upon the nearest branch watching my operations, giving me at intervals
strophes of his high-pitched song.
" Here in safe covert, on the shallow snow,
And, sometimes, on a speck of visible earth,
The redbreast near me hopp'd."— WORDSWORTH.
One dear little robin used to perch upon the table while I lunched,
to receive his share of the bread-crumbs. Sometimes, in cold weather,
we catch a robin and place him in the fernery to eat any insects
which may be there.
We never can have too many of the soft-billed birds in the garden,
and we rigidly protect their nests and eggs from all intruders.
FIG. 1189.— Misse Thrush. FIG. 1190. — Fieldfare.
Missel Thrushes (Turdus viscivorus, fig. 1189) live around us, espe-
cially in the Park. The Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris, fig. 1190) visits
us in autumn. The Redwing (Titrdus Iliaca, fig. 1191) has of late
years become much more numerous around London, and in some
winters visits our neighbourhood in considerable numbers.
The two birds which really, upon the whole, are the best songsters
which build in my garden, where they fcxist in large numbers, are the
Song Thrush (Turdus musicus, fig. 1192) and the Blackbird (Turdus
merula, fig. 1193).
THE BIRDS.
55*
The song thrush sings from November till August. It is one of
our most joyous songsters, beginning to sing early in the morning
and continuing till late at night. The poet Browning, speaking of
this bird, says —
"The wise thrush
. . . sings each song twice over,
Lest you should think he never could recapture
The first fine careless rapture." .
•
FIG. 1191. — Redwing, Jth nat. size.
FIG. 1192.— Song Thrush, jth nat. size.
The thrush builds constantly in my garden, and in early spring
prefers the Cedris deodara, or some other evergreen tree. It
always lines its nest with mud, and thus differs from the blackbird —
" The ouzel-cock, so black of hue,
With orange-tawny bill" (SHAKSPEARE) —
which first lines its nest with mud, and over this places dried grass.
The poet Burns highly appreciated the note of this bird in January,
and who does not, when the sun shines on the snowdrop ?
" Sing on, sweet thrush, upon the leafless bough !
Sing on, sweet bird ! I listen to thy strain ;
See, aged Winter, 'mid his surly reign,
At thy blithe carol clears his furrow'd brow." — BURNS.
The blackbird has a far softer and more melodious note than the
thrush, but the note of the latter bird is more powerful, and his song
more constant. Together they form a delightful harmony, but they
more commonly sing alone than together. This country would be
552
MY GARDEN.
shorn of half its pleasure if we were deprived of the notes of the
thrush and the blackbird.
" The mavis mild vvi' many a note
Sings drowsy day to rest." — BURNS.
FIG. 1194. — Spotted Flycatcher.
FIG. 1193.— Blackbird, Jth nat. size.
The Spotted Fly-catcher (Muscicapa Grisola, fig. 1194) — the last
bird of the summer to migrate, and the last to make its appearance
here — builds in the willow-trees on our islands. It hawks over the
FIG. 1195.— Kestrel.
FIG. 1196.— White Owl.
water, returns and settles on a bough, then hawks again, and so
on over and over again. It arrives about the second week in May.
The only birds of prey which have been noticed with us are
THE BIRDS.
553
the Kestrel (Tinutuicnlus Falco, fig. 1195), the Sparrow Hawk (Falco
msus), and the White Owl (Strix flammcea, fig. 1196) —
*' The ill-faced owl, Death's dreadful messenger " (SPENSER) ;
or, as Shakspeare has it— r
" The clamorous owl that nightly hoots : "
but they are only occasional visitors.
The constant persecution of raptorial birds by gamekeepers
has terribly thinned this country of this family. It is probable
that they are useful in destroying diseased and maimed birds,
and preventing the overcrowding of species, and it is questionable
whether the general balance of nature can be disturbed with im-
punity by the caprice of ignorant and prejudiced men.
The following table has been prepared by my son, to si ow
about the time when the following birds arrive at my garden : the
exact day varies in each year : —
. April 1 6th.
. , „ i8th.
. „ 22nd.
5? »
. May loth.
. „ 1 8th.
. „ 25th.
Although birds delight us with their song, yet in my intercourse
with musical men I have found but few that have the power of
recording their notes. I therefore requested my brother, Mr. F.
Smee, to visit my garden and endeavour to take down the notes
of the birds as they sang. He reported that some of their musical
phrases were in the minor key, and I have printed several of the
strophes as they were sung.
Blackcap
March 3oth.
House Martin
ChiffchafF .
. April 5th.
Cuckoo
Swallow
. . „ 6th.
Summer Snipe
Sand Martin
. . „ 8th.
Sandpiper .
Wryneck
., gth.
Swift .
Nightingale
., 1 2th.
Flycatcher .
Sedge Warbler .
„ 1 5th.
Land Rail .
The Rfed Warbler.
554
MY GARDEN.
The Thrush.
^ — I n — ^""™" — T~i — _zjzmU
E^^gE^ Ep§=E
J J mmm* j JJ 1— 1— 4- P
Efe Ei^g^
.
Blackbird.
Birds unknown.
" The birds their quire apply ; airs, vernal airs,
Breathing the smell of field and grove, attune
The trembling leaves." — MILTON.
In large gardens it is difficult to collect friends together, or to call
the gardener. I find that this is best done by a garden cry, which
is essentially the cuckoo's note, When employed in serious earnest,
it can be recognized nearly a mile off. I have tested it in the stillness
on the glaciers against the cry of the Alpine guides, but an Australian
lady on a visit to my garden declared the " Cowi, cowi " which is so
THE BIRDS. 555
essential to collect parties in Australian woods to be preferable, but
on this point we must make further trial.
The Garden Cry.
Heigh - ho !
Gilbert White states that owls hoot in B flat. Gardner, in his
curious work entitled "Music of Nature," has recorded the notes
of many birds, and it will be observed that many strophes which
my brother has supplied are identical with those before given by
Gardner, which proves the truth of both observers. A garden without
birds is like a mansion without inhabitants ; and at all times, and
under most conditions of the nervous system, their song inspires a
soothing, melancholy joy.
" Harde is his heart that loveth nought
In May, whan all this mirth is wrought." — CHAUCER.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE CLIMATE AND SPRING FROSTS.
"And hour by hour, when the air was still,
The vapours arose which have strength to kill :
At morn they were seen, at noon they were felt,
At night they were darkness no star could melt."
SHELLEY.
THE Climate of my garden is peculiar. Water from the depths
of the earth flows to the surface, and runs through the little
streams at a higher temperature than the atmosphere in winter, and
at a lower in summer. This condition has a tendency in early winter to
prevent the plants from going to rest ; in early spring it brings them
forward earlier than in other districts near London ; but when the sun
obtains more power in May and June, some districts are more forward
in their vegetation than ours are. In the coldest winters the frost
rarely penetrates to any depth on the north bank of the river, though
on the south bank it freezes as deeply as in other places. When
covered with snow, the earth is rarely frozen more than an inch in
depth. The thermometer frequently rises higher during the day and
falls lower at night than in other situations, a condition unfavourable
to vegetation.
Frosts sometimes occur in March ; at others they destroy the peas
in flower in April. May frosts, however, are the especial terror of
the gardener, and usually occur in the third week of May. In the
year 1867, an exceedingly severe frost occurred as late as the 231x1
THE CLIMATE AND SPRING FROSTS. 557
or 24th of May, of which I made a particular observation, and recorded
the result in the " Gardeners' Chronicle,"1 which is perhaps sufficiently
interesting to repeat : —
THE GREAT MAY FROST OF 1867.
" During the last' two nights a most destructive frost, considering
the season of the year, has occurred, and I have been induced to
make a minute investigation in my own garden at Wellington to
ascertain the probable damage the country has sustained therefrom.
All trees, except the catalpa, the ash, and mulberry, are in full leaf, the
young shoots of which, especially of the latter, have suffered. Besides
these the young shoots of the walnut, yew, holly, and ivy, are much
damaged, and those of the laburnum slightly. The leaves of all other
trees have escaped. The oak frequently suffers from May frosts,
but this year, in my grounds, it is not injured, probably because
the leaves are forward and capable of resisting cold. A very large
crop of apples is destroyed, the fruit being completely frozen through.
The largest apples in my grounds are those of the Irish peach,
some of which are larger than marbles. Some are saved, but many
are destroyed. The state of the crop varies from this condition to trees
now in flower of the Court-pendu Plat ; and over a collection of about
300 distinct kinds, nearly all the young apples have perished. The
leaves of the Siberian Crab are damaged. Medlars appear secure,
and possibly quinces may not be destroyed where the fruit is not
set. Pears did not set well this year ; and of those that did, very
few in a collection of over 200 kinds will come to perfection, nearly
all being killed. The crop of plums was unusually large, but hardly one
is left of about fifty kinds. Curiously enough, the outdoor peaches,
nectarines, and almonds appear uninjured Cherries also promised
an enormous crop, but of fifteen kinds every one, whether late or
early, appears to be utterly disorganized. The aspect of the Morello
cherries is particularly pitiable. Gooseberries have partially suffered
1 The "Gardeners' Chronicle," June ist, 1867.
53g MY GARDEN.
where exposed. All kinds of currants are uninjured where covered
by leaves, but where exposed are killed. Strawberries are in great
part ruined. The Black Prince, about half-grown, the Keen's Seedling,
well formed, the British Queen, and the Alpine strawberries, have
been frozen ; probably later flowerers, and later kinds not in flower,
•have escaped. The first fruit of the raspberries is frozen, but the
blossoms and buds are uninjured. Figs, plums, peaches, nectarines,
apricots, apples, pears, and strawberries in the orchard-house are
safe, and strawberries now ripe in cold frames escaped injury. The
havoc in the vegetable garden has been equally -great. French beans
and scarlet runners are destroyed. Perhaps, however, the latter may
shoot again. This is a misfortune which the cottager will especially
feel. Broad beans, November planted, which have withstood the
last winter, have their young pods frozen, and in some cases the stalks
are bent over as though broken. The spring-sown, now in flower,
are similarly damaged. Peas November-planted, and yielding their
first crop this day, show marks of frost, and young pods of Sangster's
No. i, spring-planted, are completely destroyed ; Champions are also
injured in the haulm, but all later crops are safe. Potato plants,
from ij feet high, with incipient tubers, to those of the first growth, are
completely destroyed, and also those grown in frames, and now
ripe, have had their leaves frozen, the glass having been removed.
The tubers in this case are perfect. The early cauliflowers some-
what flag, but lettuces and all other crops are safe. The curious
new vegetable, the Raphanus caudatus of Japan, has defied the
freezing blast. In the flower-garden, pelargoniums, fuchsias, heliotropes,
are destroyed in open spots ; and dahlia roots, which withstood the
severe winter, and have since sprouted about a foot high, are cut
down like the potato-haulm. Azaleas in great beauty last Thursday,
and many kinds of English orchids in flower, have had their blooms
utterly destroyed. Alpine plants remain intact. Roses have remarkably
escaped ; even the tea-scented, the Noisette, arid monthly roses show
no signs of damage. The hybrid perpetuals, now budding, and the
Scotch, commencing to flower, have not felt the cold. Of English ferns,
THE CLIMATE AND SPRING FROSTS. 559
the lady fern and mountain fern have suffered most severely, some
having been utterly ruined, and others more or less disfigured. The
brake fern, male fern, broad fern, shield fern, hard fern, and hart's-
tongue, and some flowering ferns, have had some of the tops of their
fronds frosted, and are consequently damaged for the season. On
the contrary, the oak, beech, and limestone fern, the holly fern, the
marsh fern, the hay-scented fern, the parsley fern, and all the
aspleniums, have stood their ground. Amongst foreign ferns, young
fronds of Hypolepis rcpcns, and of Woodwardia radicans and orientalis,
have suffered ; but North American ferns have entirely escaped, and
the frail and delicate fronds of Adiantitm pedatum have not cared
for the vicissitudes between the 1st of March and the present time.
There is no outdoor vine on my premises, but in the neighbourhood
some had their young shoots utterly destroyed, some are par-
tially injured, and others have not suffered. The Chinese banana has
its leaves considerably frosted. I made a minute inspection on
Thursday evening, May 23, fearing mischief, but all was safe and
exhibited the glorious beauty of spring, but between this and Saturday
morning, May 25, this unprecedented damage was done. Gardeners
always dread May frosts. History and individual experience abound
in examples of damage, and therefore the present instance simply
stands out as one of intensity of degree and lateness of occurrence.
May frosts must be regarded as a phenomenon of nature unexplained
and philosophically unexplainable ; but nevertheless to be acknow-
ledged, feared, and practically dealt with. All we can say is, that
the frosty blast of May has passed over Europe this year with unusual
severity, and doubtless will be hereafter described as 'the great May
frost of 1867.' "
Very few years pass by without May frosts on two or three nights,
and sometimes the oaks in full leaf have their young shoots abso-
lutely frozen and destroyed. • Sometimes the days are hot when
these frosts occur, and it is lamentable to see how much damage is
done. This may be ascertained by a careful examination of the
5fo
MY GARDEN.
flower, when the stamens and stigmas will be instantly observed to
be frozen and disorganized (fig. 1197). The regularity of the occur-
rence of these frosts is such as to lead to the conclusion that they
arise from some cause which we do not under-
stand. We may fairly anticipate their recurrence,
and gardeners should always watch for them, and
refrain from planting out delicate plants till they
have passed over.
In June summer fairly commences, and from
this time tropical plants will live and thrive out of
doors till the equinoctial gales bring; our short
Fro. 1197.— Effect of Frost
unnfrohsSB!r0FVo;ted; summer to its close. After these gales the weather
stamens and stigmas de- . .
is usually lovely in the first halt 01 October, when
night frosts occur, killing our kidney-beans and indicating that winter is
at hand. After these frosts the weather again is mild till the middle of
November, when sharp frosts pretty constantly occur ; after which, in
most years, the weather is mild till Christmas. The year 1871, however,
was an exception, there being severe frosts in December. In November
and the first half of December, dripping fogs come on, which bathe
every blade of grass in moisture which never dries while they last. This
is hurtful to vegetation, and when associated with frost is more injurious
to plants than a drier and a colder atmosphere. Violet leaves, for ex-
ample, rot when exposed to this moisture, but when sheltered by an
evergreen tree retain their perfect foliage.
•When Christmas has passed, the days become brighter, the fogs
are dissipated, and the new year opens with the Christmas rose and
the naked flowered jasmine. Within a few days snowdrops spring
up, followed by the crocus, and by the middle of March the bulbous
plants afford a blaze of beauty. Fruit-trees then display their bloom ;
almonds, apricots, and plums precede cherries, pears, and apples ; whilst
mulberries, walnuts, and elderberries bring up the rear.
Our fruit season commences in May with frame strawberries in
abundance, followed at the close of the month by forced apples and
pears as curiosities. Outdoor strawberries ripen in the beginning of
THE CLIMATE AND SPRING FROSTS.
561
June, cherries about the middle, and towards the end of the month
gooseberries and currants. In July our frames yield us melons, and
our Poor Man's house grapes. At the end of the month the early
crops of pears, apples, and plums ripen, and the Orchard-house yields
us peaches, nectarines, and apricots. During May and June nature
delights in activity, every tree, shrub, and plant growing with rapidity and
energy. This continues more or less, according to the species, when
vegetation comes to a remarkable standstill in August, but ripens its
wood for the fruit of the'next year, and then we sow the seed of lettuces,
onions, and cauliflowers to stand the winter. The leaves begin to
drop in the middle of October, and the trees are bare by the end of
November. The mosses and lichens, following the saxifrages, continue
their growth throughout the winter. The snow-clad ground beside
the bright water of the river, and overhung by the beautiful tracery
of the leafless trees, affords a picture of another kind to gladden our
hearts and make us thankful for the glorious perfection of Nature,
which even amidst frost and snow is charming and beautiful.
() O
CHAPTER XV.
GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS
LORD BACON, the great philosopher of the sixteenth century,
has shown his high appreciation for gardens by saying, that
" God Almighty first planted a garden, and indeed it is the purest
of human pleasures ; it is the greatest refreshment to the spirits of
man, without which buildings and palaces are but gross handy works."
And we find that the same sentiment, though differently expressed, may
be traced in the writings of the most ancient authors. For we learn
from history that gardens have existed from the earliest times on record ;
although with different nations,— as with individuals, — the same pro-
found feeling for Nature does not prevail, neither does the same dis-
position to cultivate plots of ground for the growth of plants. More
especially can this be seen in the various manners which different
nations, — or even different individuals of the same nation, — have in
their mode of laying out gardens. " My Garden," as previously
observed, was planned by myself; and though, like the great philo-
sopher I have just quoted, I have ever found it to be "the greatest
refreshment to the spirits," yet, as well as for recreation, I have
formed mine also for study and produce: — "In lucem lucrum
ludum."
Among the oldest gardens on record, are those belonging to the
ancient Egyptians. These were often of considerable size, and were
generally irrigated by canals communicating with the Nile. In them,
beneath the shade of trees, large tanks or basins were placed; and,
GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 563
not unfrequently, there were also large ponds on which the Egyptians
amused themselves by being rowed about in pleasure boats, — or with
their favourite pastime, by spearing the fish with which these pieces of
water were stocked. The ancient Egyptians used to lay out a part of
their gardens in walks shaded by trees planted in rows. The roots
of these trees were kept moist by the base of their stems being
banked round with earth, and thus the water was retained, as the
mound was made lower in the centre than at the circumference.
Whether the trees were clipped into forms or were allowed to grow
naturally, it is impossible to say with any certainty ; for what we know
about the gardens of this people of antiquity is mostly learnt from the
sculptures or paintings of Thebes. We certainly there find trees repre-
sented as growing in a free and natural manner, although against this,
again, trees are also depicted in very peculiar forms, leading one to
suppose that the Egyptians knew the art of " topiaris " long before
the Romans.
The different parts of their large gardens were severally allotted
to the vineyard, orchard, kitchen and flower-garden. In Rosellini's
valuable work on the "Monuments of Egypt and of Nubia" is a very
interesting representation of an ancient Egyptian garden which must
have existed nearly 1 500 years before the Christian era, as it is said
to have belonged to a military chief — from whose tomb at Thebes it is
copied — in the reign of Pharaoh Amenof II., the sixth king of the
eighteenth dynasty. Doubtless the plan of this garden may be taken
as an ideal of what were all the other large ones of that nation. Its
form is a large square, which is enclosed on all sides by jagged walls.
A river or canal flows on the right side ; and this is shaded by an
avenue of trees. In the middle of this is a road which leads to the
principal entrance, beyond which is an outer gate, or rather a passage,
flanked with trees. Beyond this again is a little gate leading to the
vineyard which occupies the centre of the garden. Within the quad-
rangle are trees, such as date palms and sycamores, planted in regular
alternation, this being the custom in Egypt. Leading to and from this
vineyard are other small alleys, which are more especially intended
602
564 GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
for giving shade to the four tanks or basins placed opposite to each
other. These tanks or basins are surrounded by a turf border, and
near them tufts of papyrus are depicted as growing in regular order in
large vases. To the left of the vineyard are situated the tombs, near
which are two temples, surrounded at their base by a sort of balus-
trade. The deity who was said to preside over the ancient Egyptian
gardens was called Khem, and is supposed to answer to the Grecian
Pan. They were also under the protection of Ramo, a goddess
sometimes represented as an asp, and sometimes as having the body
of a human being and the head of that serpent. Near the temples in
this garden is the dwelling-house, which there is no need here to
describe.
The plan of this garden, although in the highest degree curious from
its having been formed more than three thousand years ago, must have
been very different from what our present notions and tastes would
require. No person who laid his garden out on the above-mentioned
plan would be considered, at the present time, an ardent lover of
nature ; yet the ancient Egyptians are said to have been extremely
fond of plants and flowers; and cultivated all the varieties that they
could obtain : so much so, indeed, that it is said they even exacted
contributions of rare and foreign plants from nations subjected by
them. Wreaths and chaplets were common among them ; their bowls
of wine were commonly crowned with wreaths of flowers, and flowers
were placed on the table before the host. Indeed at their entertain-
ments extravagant sums of money were not unfrequently expended
on flowers for decorations. Pliny tells us that it is to this nation
that we are indebted for the invention of artificial flowers, which
were known by the name of "^Egyptiae." Probably much time was
spent by this jpeople in the cool and shade of their gardens ; their
kiosks," or summer-houses, seem by the representations of them on
the tombs to have been frequently of great size.
With the vines, figs and other trees grew. Rows of columns, some-
times painted, and which supported wooden rafters, divided the vineyard
into numerous avenues. The vines were either kept as low bushes or
GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 565
formed into a series of bowers ; but they do not appear to have been
ever trained, as in Italy, upon trees. In the sculptures of Thebes,
monkeys are represented in the fruit-trees handing down the figs to the
gardeners below ; from the same source we see these animals refresh-
ing themselves for their labour, much to the annoyance of the man.
Though the ancient Egyptians paid such regard to the cultivation
of plants, yet at the present time but little love is shown for them
by that nation ; trees and plants being principally grown merely for
the purposes of food, and but rarely for the ornamentation of grounds ;
indeed few timber-trees are now to be seen in that country. Some
of the richer inhabitants have gardens, yet they are indifferently kept
up, showing that no enthusiasm is manifested for them. There is one
at Schoobra, belonging to the Pacha, which is the most interesting of
all of them. Its situation is about four miles north of Cairo, and
it is approached by an avenue of mulberry and acacia trees, which have
been recently planted. This garden is laid out in a formal manner'
the walks radiating from centres to different parts of the grounds.
Around a fountain is a covered corridor, with " kiosks " or summer-
houses projecting into the water. Near the palace is the " E Gebel,"
or "the Hill," where there is another kiosk. This hill is ascended
on two of its sides by a flight of steps, and the summer-house
rises above a series of terraces planted with flowers and commands a
view of the whole garden, of the Nile, and of the hills in the distance.
But there is no considerable beauty in the arrangement of this garden,
neither is there any great variety of flowers grown in it. I have simply
mentioned it as showing the low ebb to which the cultivation of plants
has sunk in the same nation that in former times took so deep an
interest in them. And this leads one to infer that climate has not
so much effect on the art of gardening as has the disposition of the
people themselves.
Certain great nations of antiquity, such as Assyria, and more
especially Babylon, constructed their gardens on a stupendous scale.
These may be strictly termed architectural gardens, and, of all others,
present a complete antithesis to " My Garden." In all their works
566 GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
those nations left an individuality and a grandeur not to be surpassed,
and this was also extended to the plan of their gardens. The one
attached to the palace at Babylon — which is considered to have been
formed by Nebuchadnezzar out of compliance to his queen Amytis,
who wished to possess elevated groves in imitation of the hills of her
native country, Ecbatana — may be considered as a type on a large
scale of what were the gardens of Nineveh, Persepolis, or the one
mentioned in the Book of Esther as belonging to King Ahasuerus.
These " Hanging Gardens " of Babylon, as they are called, were
contained in a square of four hundred feet, the base of which occupied
four acres, and they were composed of several terraces, which rose one
above the other until the highest one overtopped the walls of the
city, these being more than three hundred feet high. The several
terraces were reached by flights of steps ; and the terraces themselves
were each supported on large vaults built one upon another,
which were strengthened by a wall twenty-two feet thick ; these
vaults were covered with flat stones sixteen feet long and four wide,
and upon them were placed rushes bound with a considerable quantity
of bitumen, upon which were placed two beds of burnt bricks covered
with sheets of solid lead to prevent leakage from the moisture of
the earth which was the uppermost layer. At the base of these
gardens flowed the Euphrates, or rather a canal issuing from that
river, and on the highest terrace was placed an aqueduct, the water
for which was pumped up from the river, so that there was no lack
of water for the plants. This upper terrace commanded an extensive
view of the city, and of the surrounding country; and this, as well
as the others, was laid out in parterres, with flowers and shrubs,
and trees and fountains, and seats and banqueting-halls. In order
that large trees should thrive on these terraces, large hollow piers
were built and filled with mould, so as to enable the roots to have
sufficient earth and moisture.
Such is the account handed down to us of the " Hanging Gardens "
of Babylon, one of the greatest wonders of the world, and which
must have been constructed five or six hundred years before
OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 567
the Christian era. Besides these royal gardens, it is surmised
that there were others on the banks of the Euphrates, where, beneath
the willow-trees, the Israelites sat down and wept. In a .letter
which the prophet Jeremiah wrote to the captives at Babylon he
says: "Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens,
and eat the fruit of them ;" but I know not whether his sage advice
was attended to by them. At Nineveh we learn from good authorities
that gardens are considered to have been within the city walls, and
that private houses, which occupied the space between the great public
edifices, stood in the midst of gardens, some being of considerable
extent. The exact manner in which these were laid out cannot be
known, although we may infer that in that stiff and formal age
conventionality would be more studied than the beautiful freedom
of nature. In the vaults of the British Museum is a bas-relief which
evidently represents the garden of one of the Assyrian kings. It
consists of trees, and in the centre a long walk leads upwards to an
altar, and at regular distances canals intersect the grounds. The date
of this garden must have been about 1200 B.C. Near to the above-
mentioned bas-relief is another from the same country, and there-
fore of the same age ; this shows vines, palms and other trees, a
plant in bloom, and in the middle is a man with two dogs : and
on another stone is a representation of an Assyrian bower com-
posed of vines, in which sit the King Askarbebul and his queen.
Thus we see that this belligerent nation — as were the Assyrians —
were not wholly devoid of love for nature, although our knowledge
of the extent to which it was carried must necessarily be very
meagre. Diodorus tells us of the garden that Semiramis, who lived,
it is said, B.C. 2182, made at the foot of the mountain Bagistan. He
gives the size of it as being twelve furlongs in compass ; according
to him, the whole of it was watered by a great fountain : towards
one of its sides were steep rocks, seventeen furlongs from the top
to the bottom. The fame of this garden was so great that
Alexander the Great, on his journey from Kelone to Nyssea, went out
of his way in order to visit it. Observing a "great and high rock"
568 GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
near to Chaone, a city of Media, this remarkable woman Semiramis
made "another very great garden" in the very middle of it, and. built
upon it "stately houses of pleasures;" "whence," says the historian
just quoted, "she might both have a delightful prospect into the
garden, and view the army as it lay encamped below in the plain."
Let us pass now from these formal gardens to those of another
nation, equally great with the nations above mentioned, and with whom
their history is intimately associated, — namely, the Jews. Among this
nation we find that the most profound love for nature existed, as is
shown in their poetry and in the cultivation of gardens, which not
only were places of resort for conviviality, but which also were used
as places of interment, as places of devotion, as well as sometimes for
idolatrous worship. These gardens of Palestine were enclosures on the
suburbs of towns, and were surrounded by hedges of thorn or walls
of stone. To protect these enclosures from robbers or wild beasts
watch-towers or lodges were erected, in which was a keeper. In
the time of the Romans the gardens of Syria were celebrated for
their extreme fertility; in them grew various flowers and aromatic
plants, olives, fig-trees, nuts or walnuts, pomegranates, and numerous
other kinds of fruit-trees. In the kitchen garden many sorts of vegetals
were grown, among which may be named the cucumber, lettuce, endive,
mustard-plant, rue, garlic, and onions. The art of grafting appears
to have been known by the Hebrews, but, because the propagation
of mixed species was specially forbidden in the Book of Leviticus,
stringent laws were made in the Mishna against even the grafting
of trees on others of different kinds. The Hebrews seem also to
have been conversant with the propagation of plants by cuttings or
layers. Water was obtained for the gardens by means of channels
or conduits ; these being supplied by streams in the vicinity.
Near to Bethlehem, "in the long vale of Urtas," Solomon nearly
three thousand years ago « planted him vineyards, and made him
gardens and a 'paradise/ and planted trees in them of all kinds of
fruits, and made him reservoirs of water to water therewith the wood
that bringeth forth trees." These pools or reservoirs still remain.
GARDE. \S OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 569
The form of the garden was quadrangular, and Dean Stanley informs
us that it was probably here, " more than anywhere else, the wise
king cultivated his knowledge of trees, from the transplanted cedar
to the native hyssop." In this garden of Solomon grew the
choicest and rarest of plants : " orchards of pomegranates with pleasant
fruits;" " camphire with spikenard;" also "saffron, calamus, and
cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all the
chief spices."
Damascus has ever been celebrated for its gardens, which in the time
of Maundrell extended to more than thirty miles round. The same
authority also gives a curious description of their garden walls, "which
are," says he, "built of great pieces of earth, made in the fashion of
brick, and hardened in the sun. In their dimensions they are two
yards long each, and somewhat more than one broad, and half a yard
thick. Two rows of these placed edgeways one upon another make a
cheap, expeditious, and in this dry country endurable wall." William
de Bouldesall, in the fourteenth century, wrote that he was much
astonished with the gardens about this place, which according to him
amounted to no less than 40,000, and many other authors speak of them
with admiration. Here, too, roses are largely cultivated for the making
of the celebrated attar of roses. Probably, " the old interpretation "
of Nazareth, as " Flowery," is derived from this village being, as Dean
Stanley terms it, "a rich and beautiful field in the midst of green hills,
abounding in gay flowers, in fig-trees, small gardens, hedges of the
prickly pear ; and the dense rich grass affords an abundant pasture."
At Jerusalem the wealthy citizens had their gardens without the
city walls ; and they were very numerous, extending to the Mount
of Olives. With the exception of the rose gardens, which are said to
have existed in the days of the Prophets, none were allowed within the
city, on account of the unhealthy effect that was considered to be pro-
duced from the putrefaction of weeds and of other offensive substances.
The site of the garden of Gethsemane has given rise to dispute. In a
modern garden enclosure there are eight aged olive-trees, which are
by some considered to have originally stood in the most memorable
570 GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
and holy of places. Others again doubt the fact, on the ground that
Josephus states in his History of the Jews that all the trees surround-
ing Jerusalem were cut down by the order of Titus during the siege
of the city.
The plain of Gennesar, or Gennesareth — or, as its name implies,
the "Gardens of Princes" — is, according to Dean Stanley, "truly
the paradise or garden of Northern Palestine,"— so rich and fertile
is its valley. Many other parts in Palestine might be enumerated
for the gardens that are therein situated, but as my purpose is not
so much to describe the different ones separately as to show the
manner which the art of gardening was carried on by different nations,
—the differences of style in the formation of the several gardens, so
as to contrast them with " My Garden," — I will therefore merely
add, before I pass on to speak of the parks of Central and Southern
Asia, that the gardens of balsams (which plants, Pliny tells us, only
grew in his time in two royal ones in Judaea), and the palm-groves
given by Antony to Cleopatra, were at Jericho.
The paradises of the Persians have ever been celebrated, and have
been copied by various nations of the West. In these first parks grew
various sorts of trees, among which the cypress may more especially be
named, on account of its being planted round the sacred precincts of
the temples ; and on account of its form bearing a strong resemblance
to that of the flame of fire — after the doctrine of Zoroaster (Zerduscht)
became enforced. In the early part of the Persian history we find that
nation having a special predilection for the cultivation of plants, their
most puissant monarchs not thinking it beneath their dignity themselves
to plan their parks, and even to plant the trees and plants in them.
Xenophon shows this more particularly in his " ^Economicus," in the
following interesting account of a conversation which he there gives as
taking place between Cyrus the Younger, king of Persia, and Lysander
the Greek general, in the park belonging to the former personage at
Sardis: "When Lysander expressed his admiration of it, of the fine
trees, the regularity with which they were planted, how straight the rows
were of them, how elegantly all the rows of them formed angles with
GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 571
one another, while many sweet odours attended on Lysander and Cyrus
as they walked about admiring all this, he said, ' I look with astonish-
ment on all these trees on account of their beauty, but am still more
astonished at the art of him who measured out the ground, and arranged
them all for you.' Cyrus on hearing this was delighted, and said, ' It
was I, let me say, Lysander, that measured the ground and arranged all
the trees myself ; and these are some of them,' he added, ' that I planted
with my own hand.' "
These parks must sometimes have been very extensive, for the
same author mentions another through which flowed the river Maeander,
adjoining a palace of the same Cyrus at Celaenae — a city of Phrygia —
as being full of wild beasts which that monarch was accustomed to
hunt on horseback. Here also Cyrus once held a review of the Greeks,
the number of whom amounted to 11,000 heavy-armed troops, and
about 2,000 peltasts.
Not only were large trees grown in these Asiatic paradises, but
also flowers. For in another part of Xenophon's " ^Economicus,"
Socrates is represented to be instructing Clitobulus — the son of Crito,
a very rich man — on the management of a farm and household. " The
king of Persia," says he, " in whatever provinces he resides, and where-
soever he travels, takes care that there may be gardens, such as are
called paradeisoi, stocked with everything good and valuable that
the soil will produce ; and in these gardens he himself spends the
greatest part of his time, whenever the season of the year does not
prevent him." From Pliny we learn that the trees were planted in
straight lines and regular figures, and that the borders of the walks
were filled with flowers and flowering shrubs. To Persia we owe
most of our beautiful flowers ; in that country they come up, as it
were, spontaneously. It is, too, the home of roses. No wonder, then,
the literature of that country abounds in panegyrics to flowers, and
is replete even to satiety. The four paradises more especially
mentioned by the Persian poets were situated at Samarkand, in the
valley of Soghd, at the Ghutah or plain of Damascus, the Shaabi-
Bowan near Kaleh Sofid in Tars, and in the glade of Mashan
5?2 GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
at Hamadan. Another spot which Sir Henry Rawlinson tells us
was intimately associated with these paradises, was the vale of Khosran
Shah, situated about eight miles from Sirdarud, and which, according
to him, is a mass of groves and gardens.
But the art of gardening among the Persians at the present day,
as among the Egyptians, seems to be on the wane. No country has
greater advantages — no country possesses such a variety of beautiful,
showy, fragrant flowers indigenous to the soil. It is, however, for
the sake of coolness, and for the enjoyment of seclusion, and not
for the sake of studying the habits of the vegetal kingdom, that
gardens are kept in modern Persia. They generally consist of long
parallel walks shaded by even rows of planes and fruit-trees, and
flowering shrubs, and in them are fountains and rills— these are
the great desiderata, the water for them being brought from great
distances at a considerable cost. Flowers of the most gaudy and
of the most fragrant description are of course in abundance in this
land of flowers. At Ispahan most of the citizens keep gardens, and
the environs of Tabriz comprise a great extent of them, the circuit
of which, in 1838, was calculated by Sir Henry Rawlinson to be
no less than thirty miles. A glowing description of the royal gardens
of Tackt-i-Kajer and of Negauristan at Teheran, is given by Sir
Robert Ker Porter. He especially speaks with admiration of the
shaded and secluded walks, of the fountains, of the nightingales,
and last, but not least, of the loveliness and of the exquisite perfume
of the rose-trees, as well as of the other flowers and shrubs. In
Persia, he tells us, the gardens and courts are crowded with the
plants, and the rooms and baths literally strewed with flowers.
Enough has, I imagine, been said on the gardens of Persia to
enable the reader to contrast the differences of style between the
plan of "My Garden" with those of that country. He will also
see how the Asiatic paradises closely resembled the parks and
pleasure-grounds of England.
The Greeks, although they had an intimate knowledge of these
Persian paradises, did not themselves have gardens on anything
GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 573
the like scale. Probably many of the Greeks — if not most of
them — had small gardens attached to their houses, in which were
grown such vegetals as were used at that time for consumption
by the family. Yet of the early Greek gardens we have little or
no knowledge. 'The one described by Homer in his Odyssey must
have been a mere creation of this poet's imagination. It was considered
to be of enormous extent, being made to stand on four acres of
land. Homer describes it as being surrounded by a hedge. In the
garden he places "tall flourishing trees," "pears and pomegranates,
and apple-trees producing beautiful fruit, and sweet figs and flourish-
ing olives ;" vines also grew there. The fruit-trees bloomed and
fruited throughout the year, having no period of rest. The beds
were laid out in order to the farthest part of the grounds, and
these also flourished throughout the year. Two fountains were also
in this garden of Alcinoiis. Aristophanes, who lived four hundred
years before our era, in his work the " Aves," speaks in one part of
" sweet-smelling gardens ; " this passage appears to be the only place
where real flower-gardens of the Greeks are mentioned : perhaps this
is owing to the limitecl variety of flowers that the Greeks had. Still a
certain number were cultivated, such as roses, violets, narcissi, iris,
and a few other sorts, for chaplets and other decorations. Plutarch
tells us that roses and violets were grown beside leeks and onions,
thus displaying more fully the beauties of the flowers. A rose
plantation possessed by a man is spoken of by Demosthenes, but this
.was probably kept for profit, and not for his own enjoyment.
At Athens, or rather at six stadia from that city, was situated the
Academia, or public garden. It was laid out by Cimon, and in it
grew plane and olive trees ; statues and works of art were also inter-
spersed throughout the grounds. Plato, a great lover of nature, taught
in these grounds, as did later his followers, thence acquiring the name
of the Academic philosophers. Epicurus had a garden near to the
Academia, where he instilled his ideas into his followers. Other
philosophers and writers had also gardens.
If the ancient Greeks have not handed down to posterity accounts
574 GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
of brilliant flower-gardens, they inform us by their writings with what
care were kept their sacred groves. In them grew various kinds
of trees, even fruit-trees as well as ornamental and odoriferous plants.
With this people trees and plants were intimately associated with
their religion ; and the gods were considered to be ever ready to
avenge any injury inflicted on the trees or shrubs sacred to them.
At Scillus, on the road from Lacedaemon to Olympia, Xenophon tells
us, was the site of the temple of Diana ; where there was " a grove of
cultivated trees bearing whatever fruits were eatable in the different
seasdns." Pausanias writes of a grove attached to the temple of Diana
where various fruit-trees were grown. The same author also describes
a grove attached to the temple of ^Esculapius at Athens as being " most
beautifully planted with trees," and which " is no less delectable for the
sweet smell which it exhales than for the pleasant spectacles which
it affords." And Sophocles makes the grove of Colonos famous in
the Chorus of the " CEdipus Coloneus," in which the following words
are put into the mouth of Antigone: — "But this spot here is
consecrated, as one may certainly conclude, all full with the bay,
the olive, the vine, while within it dense flocks of winged nightingales
are singing sweetly." Sacred groves were in other countries besides
Greece. Pindar sings the praises of the one at Pisa. Strabo gives
an account of the grove of Acanthus, which was situated above
Memphis at the base of the low Libyan hills. Then there was
another between the Nile and Abydos, which was sacred to Apollo.
Pliny the Elder speaks of a grove consecrated by the people of.
Latium to Diana, which was situated on a hill called Corne, near
to Tusculum. This grove, he says, existed from time immemorial,
and consisted of beeches, the foliage of which had the appearance
of being trimmed by art. And many other groves there were, among
which the Druidical ones hold a conspicuous place.
Let us now, however, see what knowledge the Romans had of
horticulture, and what the distinctive feature of their gardens was.
In a letter of Pliny the Younger is such a full and admirable descrip-
tion of his villa and garden at Tusculum, which was under one of
GARDENS. OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 575
the Apennines, that I cannot do better than transcribe his own words,
so far as they relate to the grounds, as this is a type of what the
better class of the gardens of this nation were at that period. The
house itself stood on a rise of ground and commanded a fine view
of the surrounding country, and it faced the south. Before a portico
which was in front of the house " is," says Pliny, -" a sort of terrace,
embellished with curious figures, and bounded with a box hedge,
from whence you descend by an easy slope, adorned with the repre-
sentation of divers animals in box, answering alternately to each
other, into a lawn overspread with the soft — I had almost said the
liquid — acanthus ; this is surrounded by a walk enclosed with tonsile
evergreens, shaped into a variety of forms. Beyond it is the gestatio,
laid out in the form of a circus, ornamented in the middle with box
cut in numberless figures, together with a plantation of shrubs, pre-
vented by the shears from shooting up too high ; the whole is fenced
in with a wall covered by box, rising by different ranges to the top.
On the outside of the wall lies a meadow that owes as many beauties
to nature as all I have been describing within does to art ; at the
end of which are several other meadows and fields, interspersed
with thickets." The hippodrome, which was here merely a walk,
was encompassed on every side by plane-trees covered with ivy,
" so that while their heads flourish with their own foliage, their
bodies enjoy a borrowed verdure; and thus the ivy, twining round
the trunk and branches, spreads from tree to tree, and connects them
together. Between each plane-tree are planted box-trees, and behind
these, bay-trees, which blend their shade with that of the planes.
This plantation, forming a straight boundary on both sides of the
hippodrome, bends at the farther end into a semicircle, which, being
set round and sheltered with cypress-trees, varies the prospect, and
casts a deeper gloom ; while the inward circular walks (for there
are several), enjoying an open exposure, are perfumed with roses, and
correct by a very pleasing contrast the coolness of the shade with
the warmth of the sun. Having passed through these several winding
alleys, you enter a straight walk which breaks out into a variety of
576 GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
others, divided by box hedges. In one place you have a little
meadow; in another the box is cut into a thousand different
forms, — sometimes into letters expressing the name of the master,
sometimes that of the artificer ; whilst here and there little obelisks
rise intermixed alternately with fruit-trees ; when, on a sudden, in
the midst of this elegant regularity, you are surprised with an imi-
tation of the negligent beauties of rural nature, in the centre of which
lies a spot surrounded with a knot of dwarf plane-trees. Beyond
there is a walk planted with the smooth and twining acanthus, where
the trees are also cut into a variety of names and shapes. At the
upper end is an alcove of white marble, shaded with vines, supported
by four small Carystian pillars. From this bench the water gushing
through several little pipes, as it it were pressed out by the weight
of the persons who repose themselves upon it, falls into a stone
cistern underneath, from whence it is received into a fine polished marble
basin, so artfully contrived that it is always full without ever over-
flowing. Corresponding to this is a fountain which is incessantly
emptying and filling, for the water, which it throws up to a great
height, falling back into it, is by means of two openings returned as
ast as it is received. Fronting the alcove (and which reflects as
great an ornament to it as it borrows from it) stands a summer-
house of exquisite marble, the doors whereof project and open into
a green enclosure ; as from its upper and lower windows the eye is
presented with a variety of different verdures." Adjoining this
summer-house was a little room in which Pliny was wont to lie on
a couch and fancy himself in a wood. In this place was also another
fountain; and "in different quarters are disposed several marble seats,
which," continued Pliny, " serve, no less than the summer-house, as so
many reliefs after one is wearied with walking. Near each seat is a
little fountain ; and throughout the whole hiDpodrome, several small
rills run murmuring along, wheresoever the hand of art thought
proper to conduct them, watering here and there different spots of
verdure, and in their progress refreshing the whole."
From this account we find that the Roman gardens at that time
GA RDENS OF VA RR ) (JS NA 7 '/OA'S. 577
were essentially formal ones, and that they consisted of a sort ot
terrace placed before the portico of the house, termed the xystus,
which was divided into flower-beds of various shapes bordered with
box ; and that rows of tall trees, generally the plane, were planted, and
there were alleys or walks enclosed by hedges trimmed into fanciful
forms — a gestatio, or avenue in which the Romans were wont to be
carried to and fro in a litter, and thus enjoy the air without fatigue
beneath the shade of trees ; and a hippodromus or circus, which was
generally — though not always, as in this case — used for horse exercise,
in which were several paths divided by box hedges and shaded by
large trees. Besides this, the Roman gardens frequently had other
flower-beds in other parts of the garden ; sometimes these were raised
on terraces, on whose slopes were planted evergreens or creepers.
Then there was always a vineyard, an orchard, and a kitchen-
garden. And the villas had also generally attached to them enclosures
for preserving dormice and snails — for which the Romans had a great
partiality ; and fish-ponds — some supplied with salt water, which was
not unfrequently brought from a considerable distance ; and aviaries
and poultry-yards were also not excepted.
The barbarous custom of clipping and twisting trees and shrubs
into grotesque forms was much in vogue among the Romans, by
whom this " ars topiaria," as it was termed, was much admired ; the
gardeners even acquiring from it the name of " topiarius." This ugly
fashion is said to have been introduced by C. Matius, a friend of
the Emperor Augustus. The covering of the stems of trees and of
stumps with ivy was also extensively practised among the Romans.
The gardens adjoining the golden palace of Nero were very
differently laid out to the formal one of Pliny. That monarch, who was
a great admirer of Eastern manners and customs, caused his grounds
to be laid out somewhat like the "paradises" of the Persians. In
them, says Tacitus, were lawns and lakes, groves and open spaces and
prospects combined.
It would be too tedious to enumerate the divers gardens of the
Romans, for many of the more wealthy citizens had numerous villas,
P P
578 GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
some with large grounds attached to them, whilst the dwelling-
houses of others were such magnificent buildings that they some-
times covered more space than the grounds themselves, and whose
owners — as Lucullus — fell thereby under the chastisement of the
censors for having, as Pliny says, " more ground to sweep than to
plough."
Besides the villa at Tusculum, Pliny had another situated at Lau-
rentinum, which was but a short distance from Rome, and was on
the sea-shore. To this a small garden was attached, consisting of
the vystns, " perfumed with violets," the kitchen garden, a gestatio,
a vineyard, and fish-ponds. Pliny had, besides these, several other
villas, two of which were situated on the Lake Como, one being
called his tragic and the other his comic villa.
From the Elder Pliny we learn that pleasure-grounds, as well as
extensive fields and villas, existed in the city of Rome: and Csesar,
Pompey, Lucullus, and Sallust had gardens there. The one of Sallust
was on the Quirinal Hill, and was very extensive. Those belonging
to the Emperors Caracalla and Geta were of still greater extent, com-
prising amongst others those of Sallust, Lucullus, Agrippa, and
Domitian. Besides Rome, many other towns under the Roman
occupancy had large grounds attached to the houses of the wealthy
citizens ; among the more noted was Baiae, which is on the Bay of
Naples, and which was the favourite place of resort for the Romans.
At Pompeii the houses had a kind of court called the peristylium,
which was surrounded by pillars. On the walls were paintings repre-
senting trees and birds, and other objects appertaining to a real
garden. In the middle of this court — which was open in the centre —
plants and shrubs were usually planted. Not unfrequently — as in the
case of the house of Meleager — it possessed also a beautiful fountain.
Besides these miniature gardens, some of the larger houses of Pompeii
had attached to them small cultivated plots of ground. The house
of Pansa had a garden of about 100 feet long, and the one attached
to the villa of Diomedes was mj feet square, in the centre of which
was a fountain, and a colonnade surrounded the whole.
GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 579
But at a still earlier period of the Roman history, gardens existed at
Rome. We read in Pliny that the kings used to amuse themselves by
working with their own hands in them, as did the Persian monarchs
and the same authority also informs us that before most of the
houses of the poorer citizens of Rome were little gardens, but
this pleasure was in later times denied to them by the necessity of
shutting out the robbers that infested the city. These were simply
little kitchen gardens, or horti, wherein were grown the vegetals for the
consumption of the family ; the keeping of them in proper order was
considered to be the province of the wife, and this, if neglected, drew
upon her the appellation of being "a bad and careless manager of her
family," as she would thereby be obliged to " have recourse to the
shambles or herb-market."
Conservatories and hothouses dp not seem to have been known before
the Christian era, and for their construction thin plates of talc were
formerly used instead of glass. By this means the Emperor Tiberius
had cucumbers throughout the year, and roses — a very favourite flower
of the Romans — were also forced. This people appear to have been
very fond of flowers, which they frequently kept in pots in their
windows. Yet the number of varieties of plants with which they were
conversant appears to be very limited. Of all trees, the plane was
the special favourite : they were generally planted in rows. Sometimes
they carried their admiration for this kind of tree to such a ridiculous
extent that we read of wine being occasionally supplied to them
instead of water. But this inordinate love for the plane was not
confined to the Romans, for Herodotus writes that in Lydia Xerxes
" found a plane-tree so very beautiful, that he adorned it with chains
of gold, and assigned the guard of it to one of the Immortal
Band."
Many fruit-trees were introduced into Italy by the Romans, among
which were cherries, pomegranates, figs, almonds, citrons, peaches, and
apricots. In the time of Pliny the Elder a physician of the name of
Antoninus .Castor, who lived to be a hundred years old, kept a kind of
botanical or physic garden. Pliny visited this garden, and asserts that
P P 2
58o GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
in it were kept a vast number of plants, which Antoninus Castor him-
self tended.
At the fall of the Roman Empire the art of gardening succumbed
also to the violence of the age ; but it was, however, revived at a later
period by the monks, and still later a great stimulus was given to the
growth of plants by the Medici family, to whom many of the beautiful
gardens of Italy owe their origin. Those which belong to the purely
Italian style are architectural and geometric. These consist of ter-
races adorned with sculptures, and alleys of trees, and fountains and
cascades, and rich parterres of flower-beds filled with exquisite flowers.
Though the Italian gardens may be termed strictly formal, yet the house
and the grounds — designed as they frequently are by the same architect
— present such an harmonious whole, that instead of feeling the ennui
and disgust so commonly experienced in formal gardens, the eye is
enchanted with all it takes in ; for in them is no stiffness, only so
much of symmetry as accords with the genius of this classic land.
Sometimes a wall surrounds the garden, though frequently extensive
views are obtained from the terrace walks.
About the middle of the eighteenth century the English style
of gardening was introduced into Italy. Though many grounds have
been laid out in that manner, yet it has by no means super-
seded that of the pure Italian, which is so well adapted to be
placed before buildings, of which we have numerous examples in our
own country. Near to Florence, in a lovely valley among the
Apennines, is Pratolino, formerly a residence of the Grand Duke ol
Tuscany, and this is a good specimen of an imitation of the park-
like grounds which are often to be met with in England, But
except in certain spots amongst the mountains — as in the instance
just mentioned — lawns, which the English so pride themselves on
possessing, or even grassy patches, are not to be found in ordinary
Italian pleasure-grounds, the climate being too hot for their cultivation.
The owner of a villa in the north of Italy having much admired the
lawns he had seen in this country, took especial pains to have one
in his own grounds. But though he took all the precautions of
GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 581
regularly watering the one he had made, and of protecting it from
the burning rays of the sun by a cloth stretched over the whole
of it, yet in the autumn, when I saw it, it presented a very brown
instead of a fresh green appearance.
Flowers are very highly prized in Italy, and many are the
gardens that are especially kept for the growth of them for sale.
The most astonishing of these are, to a native of a northern clime, the
camellia gardens. In them I have seen, at Florence, large trees many
feet high growing in the open air and laden with a profusion of
blossom. There are also numberless gardens, some in the north
but more in the south of Italy, wherein oranges and citrons are
grown.
Fain would I yield to the temptation of minutely describing
all the beautiful villas and gardens that abound in that glorious
clime, but from want of space my remarks must be confined to a
few only, — commencing with Florence, as there perhaps more than
in any other part, are situated those of the most repute. There,
adjoining the Pitti Palace, is the Boboli garden that was planned in
the sixteenth century, in the time of Cosimo I. It is in the Italian
style, and has terraces which extend up the slope of a hill which
rises immediately at the back of the palace. In other parts of the
garden are interspersed basins of water, vases, and arbours, and very
fine sculpture — the productions of Michael Angelo, Tacca, Giovanni,
Bologna, and of other eminent men. The Boboli is said to have been
a favourite place of resort of Michael Angelo, who was wont to come
hither to enjoy the beauty of the scene, and ponder on the great
works he contemplated in achieving. To the Cascine — the Hyde
Park of Florence — a passing word must be given, as it is beautifully
situated beside the Arno ; here, amongst parterres of flowers and
long alleys of trees, may be daily seen th^ cream of Florentine
society.
The celebrated meetings of the Platonic academy instituted by
Lorenzo the Magnificent were held at the beautiful villa Careggi.
It was much frequented by the greatest of the Medici family, and
582 GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
it was there that he died. The grounds are laid out in terraces,
n brilliant parterres of flowers, and vases are interspersed in every
part. Lorenzo de Medici here grew exotic plants which he pro-
cured from the East. From this garden is obtained a splendid
view of the city, of the olive-trees, and of the Apennines beyond.
Another of the favourite residences of Lorenzo de Medici — who con-
tributed to a great extent to the rise of the art of gardening and
of horticulture throughout Italy — was situated also at a short distance
from Florence. At this "Villa Mozzi " is still shown the terrace where
that wonderful patron of learning delighted to walk and admire the
glorious view which it presents. At no great distance from these
is the villa of Palmieri, celebrated by the poet Boccaccio as the scene
of the curious story of a certain number of ladies having, during the
plague of 1348, here resorted and given themselves up to every
kind of pleasure, thereby endeavouring to drive the thought of
death from their minds. A high-flown description of this garden is
given in " Rienzi " in the chapter entitled " The Flowers amidst the
Tombs." I will mention one more garden at Florence which belonged
to Prince DemidofT, and which is attached to the most magnificent of
villas. This garden is of considerable extent, and is kept up in a truly
regal style. A very large number of hothouses and conservatories, and
a splendid collection of plants, especially of orchids, are here grown.
In one of the conservatories I saw a very pretty mode, which
is quite worthy to be copied, of arranging cut flowers. These were
placed in a saucer of water sunk deeply into rock-work. They were
then covered with a pan of water having a flat plate-glass bottom, so
that the flowers were seen through the water and the glass, and
appeared to be growing at the bottom of water.
At Rome are also many beautiful villas and gardens. The Quirinal
Palace gardens are extensive, and when I had the pleasure of seeing them
they were well kept up. In them is a curious hydraulic apparatus
for playing an organ. This is not only to be seen in that garden,
for at Trascati, Belvidere, belonging to Prince Borghese, water is
employed for many curious devices, such as making the warbling of
GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 583
birds, — making two organs to play, — starting up from invisible holes
and squirting persons in the face, — and dashing down terraces, besides
performing numerous other tricks. To these hydraulics the Italians
are very partial ; from them other nations have learnt these ingenious
water tricks. They have been imitated by the Dutch : there are
also, as well as in other parts, very amusing examples in a garden
at Salzburg in the Tyrol.
The grounds adjoining the Villa Borghese are very much frequented
by the Romans, and certainly they had a lovely appearance when I saw
them one spring, when the park or uncultivated part was a rich parterre
of the exquisite purple anemone, which there springs up without the aid
of man. Other choice grounds at Rome, such as the Villa Doria and
the Pincio, might be cited as being pre-eminent for their loveliness.
Neither is Naples behindhand in her gardens. Near the one belong-
ing to Monsieur de Monti is another, situated on the shores of the Bay,
in which, as in that belonging to Prince Demidoff, are grown a large
collection of plants. There are many other very beautiful ones.
Besides the gardens attached to villas, there are several botanical
ones ; and the Italians can boast of being the first people in Europe to
establish purely scientific gardens. If we except the one of Antoninus
Castor, which can hardly claim for itself the appellation of being a
botanic garden, then the first in Europe was formed by a Tuscan noble
at Padua in the sixteenth century, and a few years later another was
established at Pisa under the auspices of the Medicis. Since that time
botanical gardens have extended throughout Italy. Those I have
seen at Venice and at Naples contain some highly interesting specimens
of trees and plants.
I cannot leave the gardens of Italy without saying one or two
words on a very pretty garden which a countryman of ours — Dr.
Bennett — has made at Mentone, and which, to use his own words, " is
hanging as it were on the flank of the mountain," and faces the lovely
bay. A long, straight terrace entrance walk leads from the gate ; on
each side of this, at regular intervals, are pillars of stone, to which are
attached creepers, to twine and form a canopy overhead. On a marble
584 GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
slab beside the gate are inscribed some words of welcome, inviting- you
to enter. This garden is tastefully arranged, and commands a splendid
view of the Mediterranean, as well as of the surrounding mountains.
In it the owner amuses himself during the winter and spring months in
acclimatizing various plants hitherto unknown in that locality.
And now I must speak of the characteristic features of the gardens
of another nation, which at one time were considered to be models of
perfection of taste, and hence were copied by other nations, especially
by England, in the beginning of the eighteenth century. I allude to
the Dutch gardens. These, though geometrically laid out, are very
different from those in Italy or in France. Yet some have considered
that Holland did but endeavour to imitate to some extent the formal
French gardens which were in vogue some hundreds of years back.
The chief peculiarities of a Dutch garden may be said to consist
in its being seen at one glance ; — in the utmost symmetry being
observed in all its parts, betraying by its stiffness and artificiality
the whimsical devices of man rather than the beautiful luxuriance of
nature ; — in its trees being clipped sometimes into curious shapes and
figures, as was practised by the Romans of old whose gardens may
be compared to these ; — in its having long serpentine or straight
walks, generally ending in a studied vista view, sometimes crossing
each other at right angles, the centre of the point of intersection being
then formed into a parterre geometrically formed and filled with gaudy
flowers quite irrespective of arrangement of colour ; — in the berceau
of lime-trees trimmed into shape and having at certain distances open-
ings or windows made in the foliage ; — in the grassy banks and
mounds which are all formed and kept in the most prim and artificial
manner ; — and lastly, in their containing canals or ditches, — filled with
water that is frequently stagnant, — which intersect most, if not every
garden. The Dutch have a special predilection for water, and employ
it to a great extent either for ornamentation as fountains, as moats
surrounding their grounds, or as canals intersecting them ; and not
unfrequently in their gardens are found some curious examples of
conceits in hydraulics which they have learnt from the Italians. But
GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 585
this ornamentation of water and grassy mounds has — in the wet,
humid, and flat country of Holland — a very unpleasing effect.
The best specimens of the Dutch style were the Royal Gardens at
Loo, which were laid out in the seventeenth century by William and
Mary, afterwards the sovereigns of this country. These were composed
of four gardens, the lower and upper, the king's and the queen's,
besides labyrinths. The one at Hague, belonging in the seventeenth
century to the Count de Nassau, which was a celebrated one, is now but
badly kept up. Most of the Dutch gardens of the present day combine
the English style with that of their own ; yet there still exist in Holland
many specimens of that style which may be truly termed the purely
Dutch. Near Utrecht is a private garden, belonging to a merchant,
which, though somewhat narrow, extends to a considerable distance.
Tall and thick hedges of beach, hornbeam, and oak, cut into a variety of
shapes, are employed for the larger divisions of the grounds, whilst the
smaller are divided by hedges of yew and box. The ornaments in this
gardem consist of grottoes and fountains, statues and busts, urns
and vases. There are, besides, the usual long berceau walk of beech,
with its windows, and several avenues of walks terminating in
vistas. Everything here — according to the Dutch system — has its
counterpart, so that where there is a pond, walk, statue, or group of
evergreens on the one side, there is the same to match it on the other.
The two ponds that are surrounded with old chestnut-trees are similar
though much smaller, to the one in Bushey Park, and in the extremity
of the grounds is a large circular walk shaded with beech-trees, in the
centre of which is a piece of water. The usual adjuncts, as green-
houses and forcing-frames, also form a part of the garden.
The Dutch people of all classes are fond of cultivating plants. In
the environs of Rotterdam there are a series of little gardens belonging
to the tradesmen of the town. On the cultivation of them great care is
bestowed, and in them are grown fruit-trees, generally kept dwarfish,
and flowers. To each garden is attached a kind of garden, or summer-
house — termed tuin-huisjcs or lust-kofs — and thither the proprietors
repair with their families on a Sunday afternoon, to enjoy the quietness
586 GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
and repose by the contemplation of nature's works. These remind us
of those little gardens, with their summer-houses, whicfy some of the
tradespeople of the East of London possess at Lee Bridge.
If the Dutch cannot be said to have an innate taste in the laying
out of grounds, great credit is due to them for their knowledge of the
art of horticulture, more especially in that branch of it which apper-
tains to the growth of bulbous flowers. These at an early period
they procured from the East, and by great skill they have managed to
bring them to a perfection unequalled by any other nation. Haarlem
is the chief place for perfecting the different species of bulbs ; and
not only do the Dutch cultivate them as a means of livelihood, but
from an exceedingly great love which they possess for these gaudy
flowers. In the seventeenth century the passion of this nation for
tulips was so great that it was known by the name of the tulipomania,
and, as may readily be understood, all the evils likely to attend
such a mania occurred. The French author Dumas has very ably
shown this in a fictitious tale called the "Black Tulip."
France claims to be the school of the geometric system of gardens.
Le Notre, the founder of this style, was a celebrated architect and
designer of gardens, and had previously, in his youth, studied painting
in the studio of Lebrun. His chef-d'oeuvre, were the gardens of
Versailles, which were formed during the reign and under the auspices
of Louis XIV. The boldness and the grandeur of Le Ndtre's
designs prove him to have been gifted with a lofty genius. Truly
Versailles — previous to the construction of the Crystal Palace Gardens,
which were made a hundred years later — might have vied in its
magnificence with the "Hanging Gardens" of Babylon. How
different is it to the niggardly geometric Dutch gardens ! Versailles,
as most of my readers are doubtless aware, consists of immense
terraces and parterres, and fountains of world-wide repute are
placed in different parts of the grounds. Unfortunately, most of
the trees near to the Palace are clipped into shape.
Gardens have ever been a passion among the French, and therefore,
as may be supposed, abound in their country. So early as the eighth
GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 587
century, Charlemagne encouraged the art of gardening, and introduced
the best/ruits into his kingdom ; nevertheless that art does not appear to
have attained to anything like perfection until the seventeenth century,
when, as a brilliant comet, the genius of Le Notre suddenly burst
forth. Ere this, however, Francis I. formed some pleasure-grounds
at Fontainebleau, in imitation of those he had seen in Italy ; these,
from what we can gather, must have somewhat resembled the one of
Pliny at Tusculum. The terrace, at a later period, was made by Le
Notre, who also considerably altered the arrangement of the grounds ;
and still later, the part which is now known as the English garden
was planned.
Shortly before the first Revolution, and towards the middle of the last
century, the English style of gardening became very fashionable in
France ; so much so indeed, that many of the old geometric gardens
were even destroyed, and relaid out according^ to the new system.
Marie Antoinette caused the pretty grounds of the Petit Trianon
at Versailles to be so arranged.
No city perhaps possesses so many beautiful gardens, parks, and
promenades as Paris. The beautiful grounds adjoining the Tuileries
Palace were designed by Le Notre. Sculpture and basins of water
with fountains, and a profusion of flowers, are here everywhere to
be seen. Here too in the summer months are rows of orange-trees,
perfuming the air with their flowers, reminding one of the redolence
of the orange gardens of Italy. Immediately adjoining the Palace
is the English garden, and this used to be kept railed off from the
public part during the residence of the Imperial family in this city.
A fine vista is obtained from the centre pavilion, along a broad straight
walk lined on each side by tall trees. Beyond this garden is the
Champs d'Elysee, in which, besides trees, are numerous parterres of
flowers, amidst which are fountains. Beyond this again, and past
the Arc de Triomphe, is the Bois de Boulogne, laid out by the
Emperor Napoleon III., and which, for the exquisite taste shown
in it, combining as it does the wildness of a wood and the high
cultivation of a flower garden, deserves at least a word of the highest
588 GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
praise ; the more so as our Government, by imitating its more culti-
vated parts, have greatly improved the parks of London. „
The Park of Monceau, which is in reality more a garden than a
park, and the grounds of St. Cloud, are also very beautiful specimens
of French gardens, and many others might likewise be enumerated as
existing at Paris, which either owed their origin to, or were greatly
improved by, the Emperor Napoleon III. Among the more ancient
and celebrated ones, I will only mention those of La Malmaison,
laid out in the English style by the Empress Josephine ; of Marly,
where it was once said that it never rained ; and the Jardin des Plantes,
so famous until the last unhappy war, not only as being the Zoolo-
gical Gardens of Paris, but also— until then — for the large collection
of orchids and other plants that were there grown.
Let us now turn to our own country, and see whether the
same deep feeling for nature is, as a people, imbued in us as it is
in the French. In England the first rudiments of the knowledge
of horticulture were introduced by the Romans : most of which —
though the Saxons appear to have had herb-gardens — was lost amidst
the anarchy that ensued after the departure of the former people
from this isle. It was, however, resuscitated by the Normans.
In Domesday Book, one " apple-garden " is entered as being situated
at Nottingham, and the words horti and hortuli more than once
occur in that book. The vine must have been brought to this country
by the Romans : in the eighth century vineyards are spoken of by
Bede, and later, William of Malmesbury names Gloucestershire as
being the county where they were mostly cultivated. At Hat field House
a part of the garden is called the Vinery to this day. In the twelfth
century, Alexander Necham, in his work " Naturis Rerum," gives
the names of various trees which, he says, ought to be grown in a
" nobilis hortus : " but unfortunately many of these could not possibly
have been acclimatized in this country at that time ; so that much
reliable information as to the real state of horticulture in England at
this early period cannot be obtained from this work. According to him,
a flower-garden should be stocked with roses, lilies, sunflowers, violets,
GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 589
poppies, and narcissus. The rose was from a very early time a
favourite flower of the English : in the ancient conveyances it was
a common occurrence to render annually one for quit- rent. The lily
too, we gather from other sources, was grown in 1276 in the Royal
Garden at Westminster. About the same time many kinds of fruits
were cultivated in this country, amongst which were cherries, mul-
berries, pears, apples, vines, quinces, medlars, gooseberries, strawberries,
raspberries, peaches, and almonds, as well as culinary vegetals, such
as cabbages, peas, beans, lettuces, rocket, mustard, and various kinds
of herbs, watercresses, hops, onions, garlic, leeks, and probably beets.
Still, there is very little known of the plans of the early English
gardens. Doubtless there was but little skill shown in them, though
one authority informs us that in the twelfth century beautiful gardens
were attached to the houses of the citizens of London, but in what
their beauty consisted is by no means clear. Yet both Blenheim
and Woodstock existed at the same period. From the early English
illuminated MSS. large gardens are represented as being supplied
with a pond or well, and sometimes also, — though rarely, — with even
fountains and grottoes. In the " Romaunt of the Rose," Chaucer
describes a garden, which was a perfect square, and which
" Enclosed was, and walled wele,
With hie walles embatailed,
Portrayed without, and well entayled
With many a riche portraiture."
Possibly much of the descriptive part of it, and of the trees and
plants which are enumerated as growing in this imaginative garden,
was founded on fact. There was another and a real garden, of the
fourteenth century, in Holborn, belonging to the Earl of Lincoln,
by whom it was kept up for profit as well as for recreation. From
an account in the office of the Duchy of Lancaster the sum of
£9 2s. 3^., equal at the present day to £135, was raised during the
year for the sale of the surplus fruit. The only flowers that are
mentioned are roses, and what were sold of these amounted to
3^. 2d. The fruit-trees in this garden consisted of apples, pears,
59o GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
large nuts, cherries, and vines, the cuttings of the latter being also
sold. Beans, onions, garlic, leeks, and a few other vegetals, were
also grown in this garden. It is mentioned that to replenish it
cuttings of some varieties of pear were purchased. A paling or fosse
enclosed the grounds, in which was a pond or vivary, containing
some pike.
But there is very little to be said about the gardens of England
until the reign of Henry VIII., when those at Nonesuch (whose
site is only a few miles from " My Garden ") and Hampton Court
were made. Nonesuch, as its name implies, was considered to be the
wonder of the age : on it no expense was spared. The grounds were
laid out in a formal style, and they comprised kitchen and pleasure
gardens, a wilderness, and small park. Dispersed in the pleasure
gardens were columns and pyramids of marble, and fountains. This
place was, in the last century, relaid out in the modern style by
Kent. The finest grounds that were formed in Queen Elizabeth's
reign were at Hatfield and at Beddington, as has been already men-
tioned in the first chapter.
The same formal old English style of laying out gardens continued
until Charles the Second's reign, notwithstanding that Lord Bacon
strongly protested in the time of James I. against the clipping
of trees, and "the making of knots or figures, with divers coloured
earths, that they may be under the windows of the house on that
side on which the garden stands. They be," continues he, " but toys :
you may see as good sights many times in tarts." Judging from some
of the beds at the Horticultural Gardens and at Bethlehem Hospital,
this great philosopher has not to the present day succeeded in eradi-
cating this reprehensible custom.
On an invitation from Charles II., Le Notre came over to this
country, and laid out the parks of Greenwich and of St. James's. He
also planted the Mall with an avenue of trees, and from this time to the
accession of William and Mary his style became general throughout
the country, when it was superseded by that of the extremely uncom-
mendable Dutch, and then not only did Hampton Court become con-
GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 591
verted into an exact copy of a Dutch garden, but everywhere else this
style was imitated. But in the following reign Wise and Loudon showed
such skill in the planting of a gravel pit in Kensington Gardens, as
to gain from Addison the highest praise.
The style that is essentially English, and which has been copied to
a greater or less extent by every other European nation, has been
attributed to the writings of Pope and Addison. Not only did they
protest against the unseemly stiffness of the gardens which were then
in vogue in England, but they both attempted in their country retreats
—the one at Twickenham, the other at Bilton near Rugby — that
natural picturesqueness which, from its partaking of the " beautiful
wildness of nature," is compared by Addison to the Pindaric manner
of composition ; and to this class belongs " My Garden." With
him, I can say that mine is " a confusion of kitchen and parterre,
orchard and flower garden," that is " mixt and interv/oven " together.
As was his, so is " My Garden," "a natural wilderness," and " my flowers
grow up in several parts of the garden in the greatest luxuriancy and
profusion." With Pliny the Elder, I agree that gardens should have
their due meed of honour, and that things because they are common
are not for that reason to enjoy the less share of our consideration ;
so that, like Addison, "if I meet with any flower in a field which
pleases me I give it a place in my garden." By this means there are
flowers which some of my friends have singled out as some of the
greatest beauties of the place, and although they might have been trans-
planted from under a common hedge, from a field, from a wood, or from
a mountain.
The first great designer — a man of truly poetic temperament — of this
picturesque style of landscape gardening, was Kent. In designing the
plans for laying out gardens he considered the genius of the place, and
endeavoured to improve and not to distort nature. By him, and by
his successors, many of the old formal gardens were remodelled.
Though the writings of Pope and of Addison, and later of Thom-
son, caused such an immediate beneficial effect upon the designing of
gardens, yet it has been by some doubted whether they were the
592 GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
fountain-head whence our knowledge of this style was derived, for the
first idea of it is by some attributed to Milton, by others to Tasso.
Others, again, assert that it was in this manner that Nero caused his
garden at Rome to be laid out, and which he is said to have imi-
tated from the Persian paradises ; whilst many suppose that the
Chinese first gave us the idea to copy in our gardens the various
beauties of natural scenery.
Certainly the Chinese are particularly skilful in producing various
scenic effects in their gardens. One of their ancient writers, Lieu-
tschen, says, "The art of laying out gardens consists in an endeavour
to combine cheerfulness of aspect, luxuriance of growth, shade, solitude,
and repose, in such a manner, that the senses may be deluded by an
imitation of rural nature. Diversity, which is the main advantage of
free landscape, must, therefore, be sought in a judicious choice of soil,
an alternation of chains of hills and valleys, gorges, brooks, and lakes
covered with aquatic plants. Symmetry is wearying, and ennui and
disgust will soon be excited in a garden where every part betrays
constraint and art." And this is a good description of the gardens
of China, so that in the immediate vicinity of the main habitation
the grounds are made to coincide with the formality of it, and are
therefore geometrically laid out ; the Chinese considering that in such
a position wild scenery would be as unapt as a diamond set in lead ;
whereas rustic buildings are invariably placed amidst a wild and
ruggedly-formed country. Besides this, the Chinese are adepts in
magnifying the seeming dimensions of any piece of land which they
lay out, making thereby their gardens appear even considerably
larger than they are in reality : this is the case, for instance, in the
Imperial garden in the vicinity of Pekin, which has been computed
to be no less than twelve miles in circuit. These grounds are very
beautifully arranged, and they quite deserve the name of Yuen-ming-
yuen, or " the garden of perpetual brightness." Of considerable extent
are also the Imperial grounds of Zhe-hol, or "the garden of innu-
merable trees." Here are lakes, miniature mountains, rocks, and
choice cultivated spots, amongst which are interspersed numerous
GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 593
buildings and pagodas, exhibiting the utmost diversity of scene, all
formed by the skill of man, who has obtained this by imitating the
beauties of Nature, instead of attempting to distort her. But this
nation is very partial to gardens. In Pekin over some of the houses
in the main streets are broad terraces covered with shrubs and flowers.
We read too that in Nagasaki, in Japan, most of the better class of
houses have gardens, but these, however small they may be, are said to
be laid out in the landscape style with rocks, miniature mountains, and
waterfalls. In the larger gardens in China are usually artificial lakes
or rivers, and fountains and cascades ; in some of them, too, are scenes
of spring, of summer, and of winter, where are grown those plants that
are suitable to the season, from which these spots have derived their
name. Flowers are not scattered indiscriminately along the borders,
but are tastefully disposed according to their colour and growth ;
and indeed the gardeners of this country show great skill, not only
in the arrangement of the different parts of a garden, but also in
the disposing of the plants and in the culture of the flowers. China
is everywhere highly cultivated ; even those parts which consist of bogs
and marshes this ingenious people bring into cultivation, by forming
on them rafts of bamboo, which they cover with earth, and on these
they are then enabled to produce vegetables. These rafts of bamboo
remind one of the so-called floating gardens of Mexico — formerly
so numerous — and which were made by branches of willows, or of
any other similarly light and buoyant material, being plaited and
twisted together ; this was covered by earth, or rather mud, obtained
from the lake Clavigero, on which these gardens floated. They are
said to have been made at the founding, or shortly afterwards, of the
city of Mexico, and were formerly numerous, as well as very productive.
Small huts were built on these rafts, for the cultivators ; and by means
of a boat these curious islands were moved wheresoever the owner
required.
Near Canton are the celebrated Fa-tee gardens, where on a New
Year's day repair throngs of people to enjoy this holiday in the
" flowery land." But I think sufficient has been said of the gardens
Q Q
594 GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
of the Chinese to demonstrate how nearly — more nearly than those
of other nations, even more nearly than the one described by Addison
— the plan of " My Garden " agrees with the peculiar character of
those formed by this extraordinary people. I will therefore only
mention one more garden of this nation, the one at Macao, where
the great Portuguese poet Camoens studied nature, and reflected its
charms so accurately, and so enthusiastically, in the beautiful poem
of the "Lusiad."
In India rose-gardens are numerous. At Ghazeepoor, roses are
cultivated in vast fields of many hundred acres in extent. There are
also many other gardens, in which grow beautiful plants, to be found
throughout that country — a country so distinguished for its adoration
of Nature, as is testified by their sacred writings the " Vedas," as well
as by their secular literature.
In Turkey, gardens also abound. Lady Mary Wortley Montague
has depicted them in glowing terms ; but from other sources they do
not appear to come' up to that lady's high-flown descriptions, although
their shade, and their sweet-scented and bright flowers, interspersed
among cascades and fountains, must make them very pleasant
resorts.
In Spain, too, they are very numerous and very beautiful. At
Madrid most of the wealthier classes have them, but in the south they
are much more general. Seville and Cadiz especially are noted for the
love its citizens have for flowers, and for the gardens which the majority
of them possess : in those towns the balconies, windows, and even roofs
of the houses are converted into parterres of flowers. On a rugged
eminence at Grenada, which is surrounded by pleasure-grounds, is the
Moorish Palace of the " Casa de 1'Amar," the gardens of which were
laid out by the Moors. They are arranged as terraces, ornamented with
statues and fountains, and cascades and lakes. But probably the most
ancient of the old Moorish gardens is " Alcazar," which is adorned with
fountains, and has parterres of evergreens and choice flowers. The walks
are paved with marble. Other celebrated gardens there are, among
which may be named the Escurial at Madrid, the Aranguez, and La
GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 595
Granja or San Ildefonso— the Versailles of Spain — which Philip V., who
caused it to be laid out, is said to have exclaimed on beholding it: "It
has cost me three millions, but for three minutes I have been amused ! "
And lastly, there are the gardens of the Alhambra, which were con-
sidered so very lovely, that a long inscription, placed at the entrance
of the one called the Lindaraxa, thus ends : " Where is there a garden
like unto this ? Its verdure and its fragrance excel all others ; and
its freshness is diffused far around."
I cannot here refrain from saying a passing word of eulogium
on the very beautiful garden of Mr. Cook (the Viscount de Montserrat)
at Cintra in Portugal ; for that gentleman has not only most
beautifully laid out his grounds, but, regardless of expense, has suc-
ceeded in extending the knowledge of horticulture in that country by
the acclimatization of new and rare shrubs and plants. In our own
country, one of the Scilly Islands has been converted into a sub-
tropical garden by the ability of Mr. Smith, formerly Member for one
of the divisions of Cornwall. There grows, in the open air, the gum-
tree, and, what is more particularly interesting, there is a geranium hedge
twenty feet long, which in 1862 was said to be ten feet high, and
whose bright pink flowers, when seen from the sea, present from a
considerable distance a strange yet beautiful appearance.
Many more examples I might bring forward, to show how every
nation has, in a greater or less degree, had gardens. Throughout
Germany they are to be found, likewise in Russia, Denmark, Poland,
Switzerland, and other countries. In the other hemisphere we find
them, in North and South America : and here I must mention
the Shakers' gardens in New Lebanon, at New York, for in them are
grown the narcotic herbs for which they have a great reputation ; as
well as the garden at Rio Janeiro, which is kept up for the
cultivation of the cochineal insect. None of the other gardens of
the above-named countries offer, like those already described, any
peculiar characteristics in the mode in which they are laid out, but
comprise either one or a mixture of the styles of other countries ; it
is consequently needless for me to enter into fuller* details of them.
QQ 2
596
GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS,
For in this chapter I have endeavoured to show the various manners
which different nations have had, of laying out gardens, according
to the accounts -which have been given to us, or to what I have myself
observed in Europe.
We see that the love for gardening, or for nature, is not dependent
either on a torrid, frigid, or temperate zone ; but that in certain
nations, as in certain individuals of a nation, it is more innate than in
others ; and we further see, that the art of gardening, whilst advancing
in some nations, declines in others. But those persons who have ever
enjoyed the calm repose of a garden, have watched the growth and
habits of the various plants, delighted in the sweet music of the birds
which dwell therein, will feel that " we are instinctively led, amid the
everlasting change in nature, to feel the harmony of the wondrous
powers pervading all things. He who contemplates them with the eye
of the soul, feels the littleness of man amid the greatness of the
universe."
CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR 1871.
THE year 1870 closed on a Saturday amidst snow and frost.
My garden was covered deeply with snow, and scarce a trace of
vegetation was discernible. The Drumhead Cabbages were covered
over the top, showing a little green on one side. The Brussels
Sprouts and Sprouting Broccoli were only partially concealed ; but
everything else was perfectly covered, and nothing but a uniform
surface of snow could be discerned.
It was very interesting to see the dark colour of the pure water
running down the central streamlet, with the white snow extending
to the very edge of the water.
The Orchard-house was coated with a thick deposit of snow, and
all my frames were very properly covered with straw and bast mats,
over which was a thick layer of snow. The houses warmed, as the
Cucumber-house and Fern-house, had no snow, but icicles from a
few inches to two or three feet depended from the front lights. All
the doors had ice at their margins, so that it was difficult to open
them. The cats had found out the warmth of the glass, and
delighted to sit upon it.
It was pitiable to see the poor birds, half stupid with cold and
starvation. The dear little robins attended closely upon the gardeners.
The starlings were so tame as to allow persons to approach quite
close, and the gardener picked up one and placed it in the Fernery,
where it forthwith began to look for insects and worms. It did not,
however, long survive.
598 GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS.
Our vinery was well supplied with grapes. Lady Downe's and
West's St. Peter's were scarcely in perfection. Ingram's Prolific
Muscat and Snow's Muscat Hamburgh were excellent ; the Black
Hamburgh and Buckland's Sweetwater were rather past ; but White
Tokay, Canon Hall, Muscat of Alexandria, and Bowood Muscat, were
perfectly good and hanging upon the trees.
In my Cucumber-house the cucumbers were in flower, but none
were ready for the knife — probably in consequence of the dullness
of the weather. In this house the Dove orchid (Peristeria alata)
was in flower, and one Epidendrum. The beautiful Butterfly orchid
(Oncidium Papilio) was nearly in flower.
In the Poor Man's House every plant looked in high perfection.
An Azalea was in flower ; the pretty yellow Coronella was in full
bloom, so were several Cyclamens, Geraniums, and a few Camellias ;
one of the Nasturtiums (Fire-ball) was in flower, the yellow Linum
Trigynum and Acacia armata were in bloom, which really looked
lovely, contrasting as they did with the white snow outside.
The Fernery was in all its glory. To pass the threshold was to
pass from the wintry blast to spring. Overhead were a Jasmine and
two species of Passion-flowers, the Passiflora Kermesina and Passiflora
princeps. Amongst other plants, a scarlet Eschynanthus and the
scarlet Epiphyllum truncatum adorned the house, whilst two species
of Cypripediums and two species of Calanthe were in the greatest
perfection. The rare Anczctochylus Lozvii was on the verge of
flowering.
The Fernery was all that could be desired ; but, alas ! the cat
had got in and devoured my pet gold-fish.
In the Cutting-house fine Rhubarb was to be found, and the Sea-
kale was growing in the sea-kale pots, well covered with heating
materials.
The Apple-house was well stored with many varieties of fine and
excellent apples, but there were scarcely any pears, and those of no
account.
Out of doors there was but one flower in blossom, namely, the
CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR 1871. 599
yellow Jasminium nudiflorum growing over the summer-house; and
since it flowers under such trying circumstances, who would not
possess a plant of the Jasminium nudiflorum?
Within the few days preceding the glass had dropped at night
to 8° Fahrenheit, or twenty-four degrees of frost.
I propose to give the principal occurrences in every week of the
year, which will serve as a guide to others having gardens in the
same relative position as my garden is placed.
The result must, however, only be received as a general indication,
as every year, from speciality of season, must necessarily differ.
" Then came old January, wrapped well
In many weeds to keep the cold away." — SPENSER.
JANUARY i— 7.— FIRST WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 31°. i, being 5°.4 below the average: highest in
shade, 45°-9 ; lowest in shade, I9°.2i.— My Garden : highest in shade, 50° ; lowest in
shade, 9°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, not observed ; lowest on grass, not
observed. Rainfall, at Greenwich, 0.07 inch.
The frost which ushered in the year gave way on Thursday the 4th, and by Saturday
morning a complete transformation scene had been enacted, as the face of the country
was converted from a white alpine snow scene to the ordinary winter verdure.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Oncidium papilio. Odontoglossum pulchellum. Dendrobium
moniliforme.
Out of doors. — Christmas rose. Violet. Jasminium nudiflorum.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Black Hamburgh ; Muscat of Alexandria.
Out of doors. — Apples : Cox's Orange Pippin ; Ribston ; Braddick's Nonpareil
Golden Drop ; Speckled Golden Reinette ; Pearson's Plate.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Fine cauliflowers from cold frames. Sea-kale. Rhubarb.
Out of doors. — Collards. Savoys. Brussels sprouts. Carrots. Parsnips. Onions.
Beet-root. Jerusalem artichokes. Hprse-radish. Endive. Celery. Mustard.
GARDEN OPERATIONS.— On the 6th, frames which had been thickly matted for two
weeks were opened.
NATURAL HISTORY. — A Smew or Smee diving duck shot. Pigeons, Ducks, Teal,
Fieldfare, Starlings congregated, and were noticed migrating. Wren sang.
Many birds perished, and were found dead in the garden, and in other places
numbers were killed by cold and starvation.
6oo MY GARDEN.
JANUARY 8— 14.— SECOND WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 33°, being 3° below the average : highest in shade,
44°.8 ; lowest in shade, i8°.3. — My Garden : highest in shade, 50° ; lowest in shade,
14°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 78° ; lowest on grass,1 12°. Weather, cold and
dull. Rainfall at Greenwich, 0.08 inch.
The weather during the week was cold and dull ; on the i ith an inch of snow fell
in half an hour. A sudden rain occurred on the I3th, and on the I4th the sun was
bright and cheerful. On examining my outdoor exotic ferneries it was pitiable to
observe the destruction which had occurred, as all fronds, except those of the North
American species, were frosted. My beautiful plants of Lomaria chilensis, of which I
was very fond, my various Pterides, which had lived with me for many years, and my
various species of Adiantums, were cut to the ground. My alpine plants did not seem
to have suffered much. The strawberry plants had evidently suffered severely.
To our annoyance, the frost had frozen the water which had insinuated itself
between the panes of glass, and by its expansion had broken many panes.
FRUIT : Glass. — Black Hamburgh practically useless. Muscats.
Out of doors. — Apples : Blenheim Orange ; Pearson's Plate ; Golden Drop ; Prince
Albert ; Reinette du Canada ; Lord Derby ; Wellington ; Calville Blanche.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Mustard. Rhubarb. Sea-kale. Endive.
Out of doors. — Celery. Celeraic (which was less frosted than the celery).
Jerusalem artichokes. Carrots. Parsnips. Turnips. Savoys. Collards. Beet-
roots, but no watercresses, which was a loss.
GARDEN OPERATIONS. — In the houses geranium cuttings made. Cucumber plants
struck from cuttings planted out. The trees in the Orchard-house were pruned,
and the plants in the Poor Man's house and Fern-house sponged. Potatoes
planted in boxes to start very gradually, and at the end of the week trees were
planted out of doors, for the weather was too unfavourable before.
NATURAL HISTORY. — The trout were looking about for spawning-beds. Bullfinches
congregated. Tomtits found dead.
JANUARY 15— 21.— THIRD WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 37°. r, being 0.3 above the average: highest in
the shade, 46°.7 ; lowest in the shade, 3O°.7. — My Garden : highest in shade, 50°;
lowest in shade, 29°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 80° ; lowest on grass, 27°.
Rainfall at Greenwich, 1.32 inches.
FLOWERS : Glass.— Lilac.
Out of doors. — One snowdrop appeared.
FRUIT : Glass.— Grapes : Black Hamburgh (but past and spoiled) ; Muscat.
Out of doors. — Apples : Blenheim Orange ; Golden Drop ; Prince Albert ; Pearson's
Plate; Boston Russet ; Ribston Pippin ; Wellington ; Calville Blanche. Pears :
Bellissime d'Hiver.
1 The thermometer used for the lowest temperature is one with a naked bulb with a graduated glass stem
covering the tube. (See for this and the black bulb thermometers, fig. 77.)
CALENDAR FOR '///A YKAR 1871. 601
\ i «; i -TALS: Glass— Sea-kale. Rhubarb. Endive. Mustard.
Out of doors.— Jerusalem artiYhokes. licet. Carrots. Parsnips. Onions.
Turnips. Cabbage. Savoys. Collards. 1 5nis>cls sprouts. Cclcrv.
(i.ARDKN OPERATIONS: Glass. -Orchard-house trees pruned and tied. Cabbage,
cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, and radish seeds sown in the Orchard -
house.
Out of doors. — Apple and plum trees pruned. Currant and gooseberry trees pruned.
Gooseberry trees manured. Hedges clipped. Grass and walks rolled.
NATURAL HISTORY.— Wild geese passed over. Trout visited spawn-beds.
JANUARY 22— 28.— FOURTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 32°.4, being 5°.6 below the average : highest in
shade, 46° ; lowest in shade, 25°. — My Garden : highest in shade, 46° : lowest in shade,
23°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 87°; lowest on grass, 18°. Weather, frosty.
Rainfall at Greenwich, 0.54 inch.
The late continued frost had manifestly severely injured the Pampas grass. The
stems of the tea roses appeared to have been injured. All the broccoli were killed.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Passiflora Kermesina. P. princeps. Poor Man's house looked
charming, with its lilac, camellias, azaleas, &c.
Out of doors. — Ground covered with snow.
FRUIT : Glass.— Grapes : West's St. Peter's ; Muscat.
Out of doors. — Apples : Blenheim Orange ; Golden Drop ; Pearson's Plate ; Boston
Russet ; Ribston Pippin ; Wellington.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Rhubarb. Sea-kale. Endive.
Out of doors. — Jerusalem artichokes. Carrots. Parsnips. Turnips. Beet.
Onions. Leeks. Collards. Savoys. Brussels sprouts. Celery. Watercresses.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — 400 geranium cuttings planted in the first week
were potted. Ferns potted. Cabbage seed sown in Orchard-house.
Out of doors. — Apple and pear trees pruned.
NATURAL HISTORY. — All the cats died. They appeared to have been poisoned, but
the source was not traced. The birds were very tame, and six titmice, of three
or four species, as well as some robins, were caught in a wire rat-trap baited with
cooked meat, and were then turned loose, into the fernery. The trout frequented
the situations for spawn-bed, but did not spawn.
" And lastly came cold February,
Drawn of two fishes, for the season fitting,
Which through the flood before did softly slide
And swim away." — SPENSHK.
JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4.— FIFTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 32°4, being 5°.6 below the average : highest in
shade, 46°; lowest in shade, 24°.— My Garden : highest in shade, 49° ; lowest in shade,
24°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 81° ; lowest on grass, 21°. Weather, dark and
dull. Rainfall at -Greenwich, 0.72 inch.
6o2 MY GARDEN.
During the week the weather has been dark and dull, with some rain ; frost lasted
till Wednesday the i st.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Caelogyne cristata came into blossom with nine spikes of flower,
and formed a most beautiful plant. The Epiphyllum truncatum was in flower a
second time this winter.
Out of doors. — The snowdrops during the week have abundantly appeared, but
besides that the only plants in flower were the Christmas rose and the Jasminium
nudiflorum.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : West's St. Peter's and Muscat.
Out of doors. — Apples : Ribston Pippin ; Blenheim Orange ; Pearson's Plate ;
Prince Albert ; Golden Drop ; Wellington. Pears : Bellissime d'Hiver, for
stewing.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Sea-kale. Rhubarb, Mustard. Endive.
Out of doors. — Carrots. Parsnips. Beet. Jerusalem artichokes. Horse-radish.
Onions. Collards. Savoys. Leek. Celeraic. Celery. Watercress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass.— Orchids potted and cleaned. Verbena cuttings
planted. Frame made up for potatoes.
Out of doors.— Seeds sown. Peas : Carter's First Crop, Daniel O'Rourke, and
Champion of England. French Horn carrots. Olive-shaped radish. Ground
dug for potatoes and trenched for onions. Potato onions and shallots planted.
A new watercress bed made.
NATURAL HISTORY.— On Saturday, small flies out of doors. A perfect chorus of
robins and thrushes. The tomtits placed in the fernery had in a single week
effectually cleared every green fly and scale from the Fern-house. Lamperns
arrived in the Central brook.
FEBRUARY 5—11.— SIXTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 4i°.6, being 2°.g above the average : highest in
shade, 5 2°. 2 ; lowest in shade, 25°. — My Garden : highest in shade, 54° ; lowest
in shade, 26°. Black bulb: highest in sunshine, 103°; lowest on grass, 28°.
Weather, showery. Rainfall at Greenwich, 0.72 inch.
A great fall took place in the barometer, accompanied by wet on Friday and frost
on Saturday.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Phajus grandiflorus. Czar violet.
Out of doors. — Female flower of nut. Crocus.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Muscat ; Lady Downe's ; West's St. Peter's.
Out of doors. — Apples : Reinette du Canada ; Blenheim Orange ; Pearson's Plate ;
Golden Drop ; Old Nonpareil ; Braddick's Nonpareil ; Calville Blanche.
VEGETALS : Glass.— Rhubarb. Sea-kale. Endive. Mustard.
Out of doors. — Carrots. Parsnips. Onions. Leeks. Collards. Savoys. Brussels
sprouts. Jerusalem artichokes. Celeraic. Celery.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass.— Potted British ferns repotted. Orchard trees
pruned.
Out of doors. — Early potatoes planted. Broad beans sown. New plantations of
rhubarb made. New plantations of alpine strawberries made. Apple-trees,
gooseberry and currant bushes, and raspberry canes pruned.
NATURAL HISTORY. -Two tufted ducks shot.
CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR 1871. 603
FEBRUARY 12— 18.— SEVENTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 42°.;, being 4°. 5 above the average: highest in
shade, 54°. 7 ', lowest in shade, 26°.$.— My Garden : highest in shade, 5i°.5 ; lowest
in shade, 27^5. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 93°. 5 ; lowest on grass, 29°.5.
Weather, fine and mild.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Cymbidium sinense. Abutilon vexillarium.
Out of doors. — Scilla siberica. Hepatica, red and blue. Allspice. Ranunculus
ficaria.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Muscat ; Lady Downe's Seedling ; West's St. Peter's.
Out of doors. — Apples : Reinette du Canada ; Braddick's Nonpareil ; Golden
Drop ; Old Nonpareil ; Wellington ; Calville Blanche.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Sea-kale. Rhubarb. Mustard.
Out of doors. — Jerusalem artichokes. Parsnips. Beet. Savoys. Collards. Curled
kale. Brussels sprouts. Onions. Horse-radish. Watercresses. Celery. Celeraic.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Potatoes planted in frames. Carrot-seed sown in
frame. Lilium lancifolium and auratum potted,
Out of doors.— New plantation of Jerusalem artichokes made. August-sown
onions planted out. Seeds sown : Parsnip.
The vines in Poor Man's house started. Buds of trees generally swelling.
NATURAL HISTORY.— Frogs spawned. Lamperns now numerous. Bees appeared on
crocus and snowdrops. Abundance of gnats. 4,000 ova of trout placed in
breeding boxes. Thrushes, blackbirds, robins, chaffinches, skylarks, in full song.
FEBRUARY 19— 25.— EIGHTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 43°.8, being 4°.8 above the average : highest in
shade, 54°.8 ; lowest in shade, 3J°.9.— My Garden : highest in shade, 55°; lowest in
shade, 30°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 106°; lowest on grass, 29°. Weather,
fine and mild.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Thunbergia laurifolia. Thunbergia fragrans. Linum flavum.
Cineraria.
Out of doors.— Saxifraga oppositifolia. Leucojum vernum. Russian violets in
extraordinary abundance. Primroses in full flower.
FRUIT : Glass.— Grapes : Lady Downe's.
Out of doors.— Apples : Old Nonpareil ; Braddick's Nonpareil ; Ribston Pippin ;
Golden Drop ; Calville Blanche.
VEGETALS : Glass.— Sea-kale. Rhubarb. Mustard. Endive.
Out of doors. — Carrots. Parsnips. Beet. Jerusalem artichokes. Onions. Collards.
Savoys. Brussels sprouts. Curled kale. Celery. Celeraic. Watercress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Protection to roots of pot trees removed.
Out of doors. — Old fronds removed from ferns in hardy ferneries. Young cauli-
flower plants were planted out of doors. A bed of old onions planted for early
use. Beans and peas sown December 17 showed themselves above ground.
NATURAL HISTORY.— Many gnats on the wing. Kingfishers chased each other
during the whole week.
604 MY GARDEN.
" First sturdy March, with brows full sternly bent,
And in a bag all sorts of seeds ysame,
Which on the earth he strowed as he went,
And filled her womb with fruitful hope of nourishment." — STRNSKR.
FEBRUARY 26— MARCH 4.— NINTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 45°-7, being 5 .6 above the average : highest in
shade, 64°.8 ; lowest in shade, 30.° I. — My Garden : highest in shade, 64° ; lowest in
shade, 29°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 115° ; lowest on grass, 24°. Weather,
fine. Rainfall at my garden, o inch ; at Greenwich, o°. 1 1 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Hyacinth. Passiflora ccelestina.
Out of doors. — Periwinkle. Hyacinths. Violets : Czar ; Russian, in great per-
fection. Omphalodes verna. Scilla bifolia. Anemone apennina.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Lady Downe's.
Oiit of doors. — Apples: Ribston Pippin; Braddick's Nonpareil; Old Nonpareil;
Golden Drop ; Wellington.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Sea-kale. Rhubarb. Mustard. Endive.
Out of doors. — Jerusalem artichokes. Carrots. Parsnips. Savoys. Collards.
Kale. Brussels sprouts. Leeks. Celery. Celeraic. Watercress. Horse-
radish.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Second crop of frame potatoes planted. Seeds
sown: Kidney beans. Asters.
Out of doors. — Seeds sown : Peas : Champion of England, Laxton's Prolific, Levia-
than ; green Windsor beans ; olive-shaped radish ; round spinach. Asparagus
bed forked down.
NATURAL HISTORY. — Yellow butterfly appeared. Male swan took to nest. Wire-
worms destructive to lettuces in frame. Trout finished spawning. Ova in
breeding-boxes showed eyes.
MARCH 5— ii.— TENTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 46°.3, being 6° above the average : highest in the
shade, 57°.2 ; lowest in shade, 33°-7. — My Garden : highest in shade, 59° ; lowest in
shade, 31°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 110°; lowest on grass, 24°. Weather,
showery. Rainfall at my garden, 0.36 inch ; at Greenwich, 0.47 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass.— Oncidum luridum. Calceolarias. Apricot-trees.
Out of doors. — Adonis vernalis. Arabis grandiflora. Aubrietia deltoides. Draba
azoides. Double primrose. Daffodil. Wood anemone. Primula minima.
Dog's-tooth violet. Small vinca. Petasites. Frond of Cystopteris fragilis
appeared.
FRUIT : Glass.— Grapes : Lady Downe's Seedling.
Out of doors. — Apples : Braddick's Nonpareil ; Golden Drop ; Old Nonpareil ;
Webb's Russet ; Fearn's Pippin ; Alfriston.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Sea-kale. Rhubarb.. Mushrooms. Mustard. Cucumber.
Out of doors. — Jerusalem artichokes. Parsnips. Carrots. Onions, Beet. Collards.
Savoys. Brussels sprouts. Cottagers' kale. Endive. Mustard. Cress.
Watercress. Celery. Celeraic.
CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR 1871. 605
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass.— Seedling ferns potted and new cranberry bed made.
Out of doors. — Grass mown for the first time. First crop of peas staked. Roses
pruned. Box edging replanted. Mossery planted. Seed sou>n : Radish.
NATURAL HISTORY. — Peacock butterfly appeared. Ova of Siredon pisciformis
hatched out.
MARCH 12— 18.— ELEVENTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 41°. 7, being the average : highest in shade, 59°4 ;
lowest in shade, 28°.9. — My Garden : highest in shade, 56° ; lowest in shade, 28°.
Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 101° ; lowest on grass, 21°. Rainfall at my garden,
0.73 inch ; at Greenwich, 0.58 inch.
During the week a considerable change occurred in the aspect of the garden. The
snowdrops and crocuses had finished their blossom, and were replaced by hyacinths
and daffodils, and fruit-trees commenced to flower.
FLOWERS : Glass.— Roses. The orchid-house was in its prime. The apricots,
peaches, and nectarines were in full bloom, and beneath their branches hyacinths
displayed their blossom.
Out of doors. — Almond-trees. Gooseberry bushes in leaf and commencing to
blossom. Marsh marigold. Narcissus polyanthus. Chamajbuxus. Aubrietia
graeca.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Lady Downe's finished.
Out of doors. — Apples : Lemon Pippin ; Golden Pippin ; Boston Russet ; Old
Nonpareil ; Alfriston.
VEGETAI.S : Glass. — Sea-kale. Mushrooms. French Beans. Mustard. Radishes.
Cucumbers.
Out of doors. — Jerusalem artichokes. Parsnips. Onions. Carrots. Beet. Leek.
Brussels sprouts. Collards. Savoys. Kale. Celery. Celeraic. Watercress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Orchids cleaned and potted. Shoots of growing
vines tied. First crop of melons planted.
Out of doors. — Seeds sown : Onions ; leeks ; six-week turnips. Rose-trees,
pruning finished. Tea roses planted. Clematis planted. Box-edging planted.
Second crop of peas earthed. Strawberry plants placed in heat.
NATURAL HISTORY. — Rooks busy with their nests. Male swan on nest. Cucumber
plants attacked by aphides. Red spicier and mealy bug appeared in fernery.
Orchard-house full of bees. Many small flies.
MARCH 19— 25.— TWELFTH \VKKK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 47 .1, being 4°«9 above the average: highest in
shade, 70.9; lowest in shade, 30°. 2. — My Garden : highest in shade. 71 : lo\\e^t in
shade, 32 . Black bulb : highest in sunshine, I3i°.5 ; lowest on grass, 27 . Weather,
fine. Rainfall at my garden, 0.02 inch ; at Greenwich, 002 inch.
606 MY GARDEN.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Dendrobium aggregatum. Maxillaria Harrisonii. Franciscea lati-
folia. Orange-trees. Deutzia gracilis. In Orchard-house. — Plum and apricot
flowers off, fruit set.
Out of doors. — Cherry. Peach. Nectarine and currant bushes. Oxalis acetosella.
Wild tulip of Italy. Wild anemone of Rome. Doronicum caucasicum. Orobus
vernus. Triteleia uniflora. Schivereckia podolica. Muscari.
FRUIT : Out of doors. —Apples : Ribston Pippin ; Pearson's Plate ; Boston Russet ;
Winter Pearmain ; Golden Drop ; Alfriston ; Kentish Fillbasket.
VEGETALS : Glass. — French beans. Mushrooms. Cucumbers. Radishes. Mustard.
Curled Australian cress. Sea-kale.
Out of doors. — Jerusalem artichokes. Parsnips. Carrots. Onions. Beet. Brussels
sprouts. Collards. Kale. Watercress. Celery.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Fuchsia and rooted cuttings of roses potted. Seeds
sown : Melon and cucumber.
Out of doors. — Seeds sown : Carrots ; Brussels sprouts ; broccoli ; savoy ; winter
savory ; sage and marjoram ; thyme ; parsley. Second crop of celery.
Chicory. Mushroom bed made.
NATURAL HISTORY. — Water tortoise appeared for the first time. Many bees in
orchard-house. Brimstone and tortoiseshell butterflies were seen during the whole
week.
" Next came fresh April, full of lustyhead,
And wanton as a kid whose horn new buds." — SPENSER.
MARCH 26— APRIL i.— THIRTEENTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 43°.8, being o°.2 above the average : highest in
shade, 67°.4 ; lowest in shade, 3i°.2. — My Garden : highest in shade, 67° ; lowest in
shade, 30°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 132° ; lowest on grass, 24°. Weather,
dry and cold. Rainfall at my garden, 0.03 inch ; at Greenwich, 0.36 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Dendrobium Pierardii. Lapageria rosea. Prunus triloba. Men-
tissia saltatoria.
Out of doors. — Pear-trees : St. Germain and Doyenne* d'Etd Plum-trees, curran^
and gooseberry bushes in full flower. Epimedium alpinum. Myosotis dissitiflora.
Fritillaria meleagris. Orobus vernus. Narcissus. Saxifraga palmata. Tulip?
The fronds of Cystopteris montana started, also those of Struthiopteris ger-
manica. Adiantum pedatum. Varieties of lady-ferns. Scolopendrium.
FRUIT: Out of doors.— Apples : Boston Russet; Golden Drop; Sturmer Pippin;
Winter Pearmain ; Wellington ; Gloria Mundi.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Mushrooms. French beans. Cucumbers. Radishes.
Out of doors.— Jerusalem artichokes. Parsnips. Carrots. Onions. Beet. Brussels
sprouts. Kale. Collards. Mustard. Curled, Australian, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS.— Rose cuttings placed in cutting-house from forced trees.
Second crop of cauliflower and cabbage planted. Sticks placed to second crop of
peas. Apple and pear trees grafted. Wild orchids planted. Seeds sown:
French Horn carrot ; Long-pod bean.
NATURAL HISTORY. — Blackcap appeared March 30. Woodlarks noticed. Lamperns
still numerous and busy in Backwater.
CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR 1871. 607
APRIL 2— 8.— FOURTEENTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 43°. i, being 2°. i below the average : highest in
shade, 56' '.7 ; lowest in shade, 29°. i.— My Garden : highest in shade, 58° ; lowest in
shade, 25°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, I33°.5 ; lowest on grass, 19°. Weather,
dry and cold. Rainfall at my garden, 0.03 inch ; at Greenwich, o.oi inch.
A severe frost occurred on the night of Thursday, April 7, and Friday, April 8.
Many fronds of ferns were frozen : those of lady-ferns were completely destroyed ; and
those of the royal fern were cut down. Many of the ostrich fern (Struthiopteris] were
killed, as well as many of the Cystopteris montana and the bracken. Asparagus shoots
fit for the first cutting were frosted. Cherry blossoms were frozen, and the little
apricots in the orchard-house were killed. All the alpine plants in flower were injured:
especially, the Epimediums, which were fine on Thursday, were killed by Saturday.
Whole sheets of flower of the beautiful Oxalis acetosella were frosted, and the plants of
Myosotis dissitiflora much damaged.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Grapes in Poor Man's house. Rhynchospermum jasminioides.
Male blossoms of melons.
Out of doors. — Epimedium grandiflorum. E. rubrum.
FRUIT : Out of doors. — Apples : Old Nonpareil ; Boston Russet ; Sturmer Pippin ;
Wellington.
VEGETALS : Glass. — French beans. Mushrooms. Mustard and cress. Cucumbers.
Out of doors. — Jerusalem artichokes. Sea-kale. Brussels sprouts. Kale. Carrots.
Parsnips. Beet. Onions. Leeks. Rhubarb. Radishes. Watercress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS. —Seeds sown: Peas : Champion of England, in succession.
Lettuces planted.
NATURAL HISTORY.— Trout ova in the breeding-boxes hatched April 5. A wild grey
goose visited the lake. House-martins noticed.
APRIL 9— 15.— FIFTEENTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 48°. 3, being 3°.2 above the average : highest in
shade, 66°. 5 ; lowest in shade, 30°. — My Garden, highest in shade, 68° ; lowest in
shade, 26°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, I36°.5 ; lowest on grass, 20°. Weather,
on the 1 5th half a gale. Rainfall at my garden, 0.26 inch ; at Greenwich, 0.36 inch.
The effects of the frosts of the preceding week were now apparent, and three-
quarters of the crop of gooseberries were found to have been frozen. The expanded
flowers of the fruit-trees were frozen, but those still in bud were not injured. Young
seedling plants of the cabbage tribe were killed. The flower buds of the laburnum
were much damaged.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Chlorodendron Thomsoni. C. Balfouri. C. splendens. Passiflora
floribunda. Combretum purpureum.
Out of doors. — Apples : Siberian Crab ; Irish Peach ; Nonsuch. Cherries, Plums,
and Pears in full blossom. Anemone Pulsatilla. A. hortensis. Alyssum saxatile.
Aubrietia purpurea. A. Campbelli. Ranunculus* amplexicaulis. Saxifraga.
Gentiana acaulis. Cuckoo-flower. Ground ivy. •
FRUIT. — Apples : Golden Drop ; Sturmer Pippin ; Winter Pearmain ; Boston Russet ;
Old Nonpareil.
6o8 MY GARDEN.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumbers. Mustard. Curled cress. Sea-kale.
Out of doors.— Parsnips. Carrots. Onions. Beet. Leeks. Brussels sprouts.
Kale. Rhubarb. Asparagus. Watercress. Radishes. Lettuce.
Every part of the river and brooks exposed to the rays of the sun was covered with
confervas and diatomes, and scum rose to the top of the water.
NATURAL HISTORY. — The nightingale appeared on the 1 2th, but immediately dis-
appeared. Young thrushes and young robins were noticed.
APRIL 16-22.— SIXTEENTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 50°, being 3°.6 above the average : highest in
shade, 62°.8 ; lowest in shade, 4i°.3- — My Garden : highest in shade, 63° ; lowest in
shade, 41°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, I22°.5 ; lowest on grass, 37°. Weather,
wet. Rainfall at my garden, 2.27 inches ; at Greenwich, 1.75 inches.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Cattleya Skinneri. Dendrobium aduncum. Philadelphus mexi-
canus. P. speciosus.
Out of doors. — Phlox setacia. P. verna. P. divaricata. P. Nelsoni. P. subulata.
Gentiana verna. Common and alpine wallflower. Trillium grandiflorum. Silene
acaulis. Iris pumila. Veronica saxatilis. Viola lutea major. Vinca minor,
double red variety. Aster corymbosus. Bluebells. Buttercups. Daisies.
FRUIT : Glass. — None.
Out of doors. — Apples : Sturmer Pippin ; Old Nonpareil ; Wellington.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumbers. Sea-kale. Australian and Curled cress.
Out of doors. — Asparagus. Parsnips. Carrots. Beet. Onions. Rhubarb.
Brussels sprouts. Collard. Kale. Radishes. Lettuce. Sorrel. Chervil.
Watercress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Potting and cleaning orchids and ferns.
Out of doors. — Seeds sown : Radish ; lettuce ; savoys. Water- weed cut first time
on mill-head.
The verdure was now in great beauty. Most trees, except the oak, ash, walnut,
black poplar, and the mulberry, had their leaves about three-quarters expanded.
NATURAL HISTORY. — House-martin appeared on April 16 ; cuckoo, April 18 ; summer
snipe on 22nd. The nightingale was heard in the district, but not in my garden.
APRIL 23— 29.— SEVENTEENTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 5o°.7, being 2°. 7 above the average : highest in
shade, 64°. 9 ; lowest in shade, 42°.7.— My Garden : highest in shade, 65° ; lowest in
shade, 37°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 140° ; lowest on grass, 32°. Weather,
thunderstorm on the 27th. Rainfall at my garden, 0.58 inch ; at Greenwich, 0.80 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Maxillarja fimbriata. Fuchsia.
Out of doors. — Trillium grandiflorum. Anemone pratensis. Geum montanum.
Iris nudicaulis.' Saxifraga granulata. Lithospermum prostratum. Strawberries :
Black Prince. Quince. Peas. Daphne Mezerium. Lilacs. Rhododendron.
Azalea. Horse-chestnut.
CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR 1871. 609
FRUIT : Glass. — None.
Out of doors. — Apples : Sturmer Pippin ; Wellington.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumber. Curled and Australian cress. Mushrooms. Potatoes.
Out of doors. — Asparagus. Sea-kale. Parsnips. Carrots. Beet. Onions. Collard.
Kale. Brussels sprouts. Spinach. Radishes. Lettuce. Watercress. Chervil.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Second crop of melons planted. Grapes thinned in
Poor Man's house.
Out of doors. — Seeds sown : Peas ; broad beans in succession ; French beans ;
radishes ; lettuce. Planted cauliflowers. Some ferns were removed from the
Orchard-house on the 2gth to the outdoor ferneries.
The garden was in great perfection, and perhaps the most striking plants were the
marsh marigold and Gentiana acaulis. The apple blossom was now in all its beauty,
but the Court-pendu Plat trees were so far behind the other varieties as to appear
dead by their side. Cherry, plum, and pear trees were nearly out of blossom, and had
their fruit set. During the week the ferns had made great growth, and the oak-fern
was dazzling from the brightness of its fronds.
NATURAL HISTORY. — The young trout had lost the umbilical vesicle, and were very
active. Ducklings hatched, but the swans immediately spitefully killed them.
Two nightingales visited the garden April 27, but disappeared. Stickleback ova
hatched, and numerous sticklebacks' nests were observed.
" Then came fair May, the fairest maid on ground,
Decked all with dainties of her season's pride,
And throwing flow'rs out of her lap around." — SPENSER.
APRIL 30— MAY 6.— EIGHTEENTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 49°-7, being i° below the average : highest in
shade, 69°.$ ; lowest in shade, 36°. i.— My Garden : highest in shade, 66°.5 ; lowest in
shade, 33°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 146° ; lowest on grass, 30°. Weather,
fine. Rainfall at my garden, 0.25 inch ; at Greenwich, 0.20 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Lycaste aromatica. Oncidium altissimum.
Out of doors. — White and scarlet thorn. Lily of the valley. Veronica gcntianoides.
Dodecatheon integrifolium. Coronilla minima. Trollius europaeus. Viola hirta.
Saxifraga granulata. S. pectinata. S. pyramidalis. Linum austriacum.
Silene pendula. Epimedium diphyllum. The ground was strewed with the
cottony down of the flowers of the poplar.
FRUIT : Glass.— None.
Out of doors. — Apples : Sturmer Pippin ; Boston Russet ; Wellington.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumbers. Sea-kale. Carrots. Potatoes (well ripened).
Australian Cress.
Out of doors. — Asparagus. Morels. Parsnips. Onions. Beet. Collards. Brussels
sprouts. Broccoli. Kale. Spinach. Chervil. Radish. Watercress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS: Glass.— First crop of melons set. Seeds soun: Third crop
of melons.
Out of doors.— Seeds sown : Gherkins; Peas: Veitch's Perfection, Ne Plus Ultra;
broad beans, long-podded beans ; second crop of scarlet runners ; Negro French
beans ; radish and lettuce in succession.
R K
6io MY GARDEN.
NATURAL HISTORY. — Nightingales appeared, but again disappeared. Young trout
in breeding-boxes well and active. Eels observed on their upward migration on
the fish-ladder.
" Come, May, with all thy flowers,
Thy sweetly-scented thorn ;
Thy cooling ev'ning showers,
Thy fragrant breath at morn." — MOORE'S Irish Melodies.
MAY 7— 13.— NINETEENTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 47°.6, being 3°.8 below the average : highest in
the shade, 72°. 9; lowest in shade, 34°. — My Garden : highest in shade, 71°.$ ; lowest
in shade, 32°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 104° ; lowest on grass, 29°.5.
Weather, fine. Rainfall at my garden, 0.44 inch ; at Greenwich, o. 1 5 inch.
A thunderstorm occurred on May gth, which formed suddenly, and was attended
with a rapid diminution of temperature.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Passiflora edulis. Zonal pelargoniums.
Out of doors. — Lupins. Laburnum* Guelder rose. Linum flaVum. Orchis morio.
White butterfly orchid. Fly orchid. Erinus alpinus roseus. Erigeron speciosus.
Linum austriacum. Geum concinnum. Iris caucasica. Cerastium Biebersteini.
Centaurea montana. Antennaria hyperborea. Arenaria peploides. Pyrethrum.
Veronica saxatilis. Primula cortusoides. P. amcena. Alpine snapdragon.
Quinces. Raspberries and mulberries. Only one apple-tree remained in
blossom.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumbers. Carrots. Australian Cress.
Out of doors. — Asparagus. Spinach. Brussels sprouts. Collards. Kale. Beet.
Rhubarb. Onions. Lettuce. Radishes. Watercress. Chervil.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Bunches of grapes thinned out and tied. Many pot
fruits removed from Orchard-house.
Out of doors. — Seeds sown : Broccoli : Snow's Winter White ; Early Penzance.
Walcheren cauliflower, for Michaelrnas crop ; radish in succession ; lettuce.
Planted lettuce in succession.
NATURAL HISTORY.— Swifts appeared on the loth. Reed-warblers built in shrubs.
MAY 14— 20,— TWENTIETH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 50°. i, being 2.5 below the average: highest in
shade, 69°.8 ; lowest in shade, 36°.3. — My Garden : highest in shade, 71° ; lowest in
shade, 3i°.5. Black bulb: highest in sunshine, 155°; lowest on grass, 29°.5.
Weather, fine. Rainfall at my garden, 0.3 inch ; at Greenwich, 0.16 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Dendrobium calcaratum. Stigmaphyllum ciliatum. Hoya
bella. Cattleya Mossiae. Pelargoniums. Verbenas.
Out of doors. — Myosotis rupicola. M. palustris. Muscari comosum. Dryas
octopetala. Erodium. Saxifrages, various species. Lychnis viscaria. Borage.
Scotch briar. Broad beans.
CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR 1871. . 611
FRUIT : Glass. — Strawberries. White currants.
Out of doors. — Apples : Sturmer Pippin ; Alfriston.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumbers. Mushrooms. Potatoes. Carrots.
Out of doors.— Cabbages. Collards. Kale. Asparagus. Beet. Spinach. Onions.
Lettuces. Radishes. Chervil. Australian, Curled, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass.— Second crop of Melons earthed. Rose cuttings put in.
Out of doors. — Planted Brussels sprouts. Seeds sown : Turnips, lettuce, radish,
for succession.
Grapes in Poor Man's house stoning. Young nuts appeared.
NATURAL HISTORY.— Fly- catchers first seen. Cockchafers seen. Warblers had
nests. Bees swarmed.
MAY 21— 27.— TWENTY-FIRST WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 56°.7, being 2°.i above the average: highest in
shade, 79°-5 ; lowest in shade, 38°.8. — My Garden : highest in shade, 80°. 5 ; lowest in
shade, 36°.5. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 143° ; lowest on grass, 33°. Weather,
fine. Rainfall at my garden, 0.32 inch ; at Greenwich, 0.22 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Brassia verrucosa. Hoya carnosa.
Out of doors. — Weigelia rosea. Red horse-chestnut. Honeysuckle. Clematis.
Azurea grandiflora. Muscari commosum. Dianthus plumarius. Polygonum, sp.
Lychnis dioica rubra. Arum crinitum. Helianthemums. Erodium macradenium.
Allium nutans. Thalictrum aquilegifolium. Pentstemon ovatum. Astragalus
canadensis. Aquilegia vulgaris. Ajuga alpina. Gnaphalium arenarium.
Saxifraga aizoon. S. pennsylvanica. S. rosularis. S. geranaioides. S. tridentia.
S. serratifolia major. Dianthus Ccesius. Sweet-williams. Delphinium grandiflorum.
D. formosum. Scotch rose. Monthly rose. Rock rose. Guelder rose. Raspberry.
Mulberry. Elder flower.
FRUIT : Glass. — Strawberry and White Currants.
Out of doors. — Apples : Sturmer Pippin ; Wellington.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumbers. Potatoes. Carrots.
Out of doors. — Asparagus. Cabbage. Collard. Rhubarb. Beet. Spinach.
Onions. Radishes. Lettuce. Curled, Australian, and Water Cress. Chervil.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Thinning peaches, nectarines, and plums, in Orchard-
house.
Out of doors. — Geraniums bedded out. 250 exotic ferns bedded out. Pot hybrid
roses planted to fill up gaps. Echeverias and sempervivums planted. Seeds sown:
Lettuce ; radishes ; and Ne Plus Ultra peas.
NATURAL HISTORY. — Aphides plentiful on currants, plums, melons, cucumbers, nut
bush leaves, also a few on roses. The young trout began to die in confinement,
but those turned into the rivulets were very active. Landrails seen on the 25th.
Jackdaws attacked the thrushes' nests. Fungus appeared on the rose. Fungus
seen on under side of quince leaves, and on some pears. A great crop of nuts
now visible.
R R 2
6 12 MY GARDEN.
" And after her came jolly June, arrayed
All in green leaves, as he a player were."— SPENSER.
MAY 28— JUNE 3.— TWENTY-SECOND WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 53°.9, being 2°. 7 below the average : highest in
shade, 74°.6 ; lowest in shade, 40°.^. — My Garden : highest in shade, 72° ; lowest in
shade, 34°. 5. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 144° ; lowest on grass, 30°. Weather,
dry and cold. Rainfall at my garden, o. I inch ; at Greenwich, o. I inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Lycaste Barringtoni. Erianthemum aspersum.
Out of doors. — Erodium grandiflorum. Iberis carnosa. Helianthemum. Dianthus
suavis. Allium luteum flavum. Chelidonium grandiflorum. Musk plant.
Digitalis. Roses, yellow and hybrid perpetual. Climbing roses, various. Dog-rose.
Sweet. pea. Dianthus fimbriatus. Medlar. Mulberry.
FRUIT : Glass. — Pine-apple : Queen. Strawberries.
Out of doors. — Strawberry : Black Prince, sparingly. Apples : Sturmer Pippin.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumbers. Potatoes. Carrots.
Out of doors. — Asparagus. Cabbage. Collards. Beet. Onions. Horse-radish.
Radishes. Lettuce. Chervil. Australian, Curled, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Out of doors.— Planted cacti and mesembryanthemums. Seeds
• sown : Radish ; lettuce. Hedges clipped. Pear and plum trees stopped.
NATURAL HISTORY. — Artificially hatched trout very active in small streams. During
the past week the effects of the Siberian crab fungus apparent, and the leaves
looked as though blasted by fire. Fungus also appeared on pear-trees, especially
on the Ne Plus Meuris.
JUNE 4— io.— TWENTY-THIRD WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 49^9, being 7°.5 below the average : highest in
shade, 66°.8 ; lowest in shade, 38°.7. — My Garden : highest in shade, 63° ; lowest in
shade, 34°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 141° ; lowest on grass, 28°.5. Weather,
fine and dry. Rainfall at Greenwich, 0.31 inch. Fires required in sitting-rooms
every day during the week, being the only time within my memory.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Mandevilla suaveolens.
Out of doors.— Iris amcena. Iberis Tenoreana. Anthericum Liliago. Anthyllis
vulneraria. Allium ciliatum. Astragalus hypoglottis. Genista saxatilis.
Gypsophila dubia. Linum narbonense. Helianthemum album. Yellow Poppy.
Walnut. Elder in full flower. Medlar and Mulberry still in flower.
FRUIT : Glass. — Pine- apple : Queen's. Strawberries : Keen's Seedling.
Out of doors. — Strawberries : Black Prince. Apples : Sturmer Pippin.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumbers. Carrots. Potatoes.
Out of doors. — First dish of peas, those sown in December and January coming
in together. Asparagus. Cabbage. Spinach. Beet. Radishes. Chervil.
Australian, Curled, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Grapes thinned in vinery, and heat maintained night
and day. Fruit-trees in Orchard-house tied and stopped. Bed prepared for late
CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR 1871. 613
melons. Planted: Gherkins ; main crop of Brussels sprouts ; cauliflowers for
autumn use, and cabbages. Seeds sown : Ne Plus Ultra peas ; radishes ; lettuce ;
scarlet runners.
Out of doors. — Shoots of pear-trees stopped.
NATURAL HISTORY.— Bees swarmed. They formed two divisions, but ultimately
united and settled. Under side of plum leaves covered with green aphides.
A collection of twelve hardy ferns and a collection of six hardy ferns received
first prizes, at Horticultural Society.
JUNE ii— 17.— TWENTY-FOURTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 59°. 5, being o°.7 above the average : highest in
shade, 77°.2 ; lowest in shade, 47°. — My Garden : highest in shade, 78° ; lowest in
shade, 46°. Black bulb: highest in sunshine, 154°; lowest on grass, 40°. Weather,
showery. Rainfall at my garden, 0.8 1 inch ; at Greenwich, 1.05 inches.
FLOWERS : Glass.— Cymbidium aloifolium.
Out of doors.— Erigeron Villarsii. Helianthemum vulgare. Cynoglossum apen-
ninum. Dianthus neglectus. Silene alpestris. Allium glomeratum. Anthericum
Liliago. Aquilegia viscosa. Veronica aphylla. Helianthemum, double white.
Campanula mollis. Arenaria balearica. Lilium umbellatum. Achillea Clavennae.
Menziesia polifolia. Garden pinks in many varieties. Pyrethrums. Mignonette.
• Late Dutch Honeysuckle in glorious perfection.
FRUIT : Glass. — Citron des Carmes.
Out of doors. — Strawberries : Black Prince in abundance ; Alpine ; Keen's Seed-
lings, a few.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Frame Potatoes. Cucumbers. Carrots.
Out of doors. — Peas : Daniel O'Rourke ; Carter's first; Dixon's earliest. Asparagus.
Cauliflower. Cabbage. Carrots. Onions. Spinach. Rhubarb. Radishes.
Lettuce. Chervil. Australian, Curled, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Seeds sown. — Radish and lettuce in succession ; French
beans, scarlet runners in succession.
NATURAL HISTORY. — Swallows hatched in summer house.
First prize received for twelve English ferns at Botanic Gardens, Regent's Park.
JUNE 18—24.— TWENTY-FIFTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 56°. 2, being 3°. 8 below the average : highest in
shade, 72°.9; lowest in shade, 47°. 5. — My Garden: highest in shade, 72°; lowest in
shade, 40°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, I5o°.5 ; lowest on grass, 35°. Weather
severe, stormy during the week, with hailstones, doing considerable damage to the
roses and other flowers. Rainfall at Greenwich, 1.50 inches.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Trichopilia tortilis.
Out of doors. — Echeveria secunda. Campanula pulla. C. persicifolia. C. linifolia.
C. rupestris. Primula cortusoides. Aquilegia vulgaris. Dianthus alpinus.
Oxalis floribunda. Sempervivum calcareum.
614 MY GARDEN.
FRUIT : Glass. — Pine-apples : Queen. Melons. Grapes : Sweetwater. Pears from
pots : Citron des Cannes (excellent) ; Doyenne* d'Etd (small).
Out of doors. — Strawberries, chiefly Black Prince ; Alpine. Currants, white and
red. Gooseberries. Cherries.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumbers. Potatoes. Carrots.
Out of doors. — Peas. Asparagus. Potatoes. Cauliflowers. Cabbage. Spinach.
Rhubarb. Chervil. Radishes. Lettuce. Australian, Curled, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Several pot peach-trees removed from Orchard-house
to ripen their fruit outside, and to afford more air to those remaining inside.
Seeds sown : Radishes ; lettuces ; endive (first crop). Celery planted in trenches.
NATURAL HISTORY. — Young wryneck captured. Eels caught in trap.
" Then came hot July, boiling like to fire,
That all his garments he had cast away."— SPENSER.
JUNE 25— JULY i.— TWENTY-SIXTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 56°.6, being 4°.8 below the average : highest in
shade, y2°.2 ; lowest in shade, 40°. — My Garden : highest in shade, 73° ; lowest in
shade, 34°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 147° ; lowest on grass, 32°. Rainfall
at Greenwich, 0,05 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass, — Torenia asiatica.
Out of doors. — Potentilla alchemilloides. Campanula mollis. Spanish Iris. Sedum
Fosterianum, S. Pallas. S. Andersoni. S. anglicum. Sempervivum calcara-
tum. Spanish Broom.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Sweetwater. Melons. Pears : Doyenne d'Etd.
Out of doors. — Strawberries : several kinds. Raspberries. Currants, red and
white. Gooseberries. Cherries.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Mushrooms. Cucumbers.
Out of doors. — Peas : Champion of England. Potatoes. Turnips. Carrots.
Cauliflowers. Onions. Jerusalem artichokes. Lettuces. Radishes. Australian,
Curled, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Planted : Melon plants for succession ; celery, after
first crop of peas ; strawberry runners laid on pots ; cauliflower plants for autumn
use. Seeds sown : Radishes in succession ; lettuce ; cress.
NATURAL HISTORY. — Young wryneck caught and placed in the Poor Man's house,
where it attacked an ant's nest and devoured its inmates, but after a few days
died.
JULY 2— 8.— TWENTY-SEVENTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 6o°.5, being i°.i below the average : highest in
shade, 76°. 5 ; lowest in shade, 48°.8. — My Garden : highest in shade, 76° ; lowest
in shade, 40°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 147° ; lowest on grass, 38°. Weather,
fine. Rainfall at my garden, 0.96 inch ; at Greenwich, 0.87 inch.
CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR 1871. 615
FLOWERS : Glass.— Epidendrum.
Out of doors. — Carnations. Picotees. Campanula rapunculus. C. primula alba.
Grass of Parnassus. Dianthus pungens. Myosotis azoricus. Epilobium.
Uodonaea. Gypsophila dubia. Coreopsis tenuifolia. Spiraea palmata. S. japonica.
French beans. Scarlet runners. Lime-trees.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Sweetwater ; Black Hamburgh. Melons. Mulberries.
Out of doors. — Strawberries, various kinds. Currants, red, white, and black.
Raspberries. Gooseberries, various kinds.
VEGETALS : Glass.— Cucumbers.
Out of doors. — Peas : Champion of England ; Laxton. Broad beans. Carrots.
Cauliflowers. Cabbages. Turnips. Onions. Mushrooms. Jerusalem artichokes.
Radishes. Lettuce. Australian, Curled, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS. — Cucumbers in succession. Planted: Broccoli; borecole;
celery ; and celeraic. Keen's Seedling plants potted. Seeds sown : French Horn
carrots in succession ; radish ; lettuce ; Australian, curled, and water Cress.
JULY 9— 15.— TWENTY-EIGHTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 6j°,7, being o°.8 below the average : highest in
shade, 8o°.6 ; lowest in shade, 49°.— My Garden : highest in shade, 79°. 5 ; lowest in
shade, 46°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 139° ; lowest on grass, 4o°.5. Weather,
showery. Rainfall at my garden, 1.22 inches ; at Greenwich, 1.51 inches.
FLOWERS : Out of doors. — Clematis rubeola. Coreopsis tenuifolia. Trollius ameri-
canus. Herbaceous phlox. Pinks passing off.
FRUIT : Glass. — Melons. Mulberries. Grapes : Black Hamburgh. Pears : Jar-
gonelle, from pot trees.
Out of doors. — Strawberries : British Queen. Currants : red, white, and black.
Raspberries. Gooseberries, various kinds.
VEGETALS : Glass.— Cucumbers.
Out of doors. — Peas : Champion of England ; Laxton's. Broad beans. Cauli-
flowers. Cabbages. Carrots. Potatoes. Onions. Turnips. Rhubarb. Radishes.
Curled, Australian, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass.— Totted pine-apples. Seed soiyn: French beans in
empty light, to be covered with glass in October ; endive ; collards ; cabbage ;
radishes and lettuce. Planted : Broccoli ; Brussels sprouts ; lettuce.
NATURAL HISTORY. — Rose saw-flies disappeared. Soft-billetf birds very active
in garden.
JULY 16—22.— TWENTY-NINTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 65°. 5, being 3°.8 above the average : highest in
shade, 82°.6 ; lowest in shade, 54°. — My Garden : highest in shade, 83° ; lowest in
shade, 52°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 145° ; lowest on grass, 50°. Rainfall
at Greenwich, 0.05 inch.
616 MY GARDEN.
FLOWERS: Out of doors. — Geum chilense. Asterocephalus Webbianus. Geranium
pratense flore-pleno. Clematis Jackmanni.
Carnations and picotees had this week taken the place of the pinks. Roses
mostly out of blossom, and the blossom of the herbaceous phlox had taken
their place.
FRUIT : Class. — Grapes': Black Hamburgh. Mulberries. Melons.
. " Out of doors.— A. few strawberries, but the crop suddenly ceased. Raspberries.
Currants : red, white, and black. Gooseberries : various. Apples : White and
red Juneating. Pears : Doyenne d'ifite.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumbers.
. Out of doors. — Peas. Potatoes. Broad beans. French beans. Scarlet runners.
Cauliflowers. Cabbages. Carrots. Marrows. Turnips, Onions. Rhubarb.
Lettuce. Radish. Curled, Australian, and Water Cress.
Potato disease appeared on the lyth. Red fungus on rose. Great masses of
Conferva spiralis covered the whole surface of the lake. Elms made a second shoot
of some inches. Pear and apple trees rapidly growing.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Cucumber plants replanted in Cucumber-house.
Out of doors. — Planted : Broccoli sprouts ; broccoli ; savoys ; collards ; cabbage,
and celery.
JULY 23— 29.— THIRTIETH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 6o°.4, being i°.5 below the average : highest in
shade, 76°.6 ; lowest in shade, Si°.9. — My Garden : highest in shade, 83° ; lowest in
shade, 45°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 154° ; lowest on grass, 31°. Weather,
showery. Rainfall at Greenwich, 0.66 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Odontoglossum phalaenopsis.
Out of doors. — Dahlias. Hollyhocks. Campanula carpatica alba. Silene acaulis.
Scutellaria alpina. Herbaceous phloxes now in great perfection.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Black Hamburgh. Melons. Mulberries. Apricots. Figs :
Lee's Perpetual.
Out of doors. — Strawberries. Raspberries. Currants : red, white, and black.
Apples : White Juneating. Pears : Doyenne" d'£te. Plums : Rivers' Prolific.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumber.
Out of doors. — Peas : Veitch's Perfection. Potatoes : Rivers' Ash Leaf. Broad
-beans. Scarlet runners. French beans. Cauliflowers. Cabbages. Carrots.
Onions. Turnips. Globe artichokes. Radish. Curled, Australian, and Water
Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Out of doors. — Planted: Broccoli ; savoys, and Brussels
sprouts ; collards ; cabbages ; lettuces. Seeds sown : Turnip ; radish ; lettuce.
Elm-trees and pear-trees made a second growth. The shoots of many rose-trees
circumvallated.
CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR 1871. 617
" The sixth was August, being rich array 'd
In garment all of gold down to the ground."— SPENSER.
JULY 30— AUGUST 5.— THIRTY-FIRST WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 6o°.3, being 2°.i below the average: highest in
shade, 80°. 5 ; lowest in shade, 46°.8.— My Garden : highest in shade, 84° ; lowest in
shade, 45°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 152° ; lowest on grass, 39°. Weather,
fine. Rainfall at Greenwich, 0.23 inch.
FLOWERS : Out of doors. — Geum pyrenaicum. Anemone sylvestris. Sempervivum
tabulasforme. Orobus lathyroides. Veronica amcena.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Black Hamburgh. Melons : various. Figs : Lee's Per-
petual. Apricots. Peaches. Passiflora edulis.
Out of doors.— Apples : White Juneating ; Red Juneating ; Kentish Codling.
Pears : Doyenne d'Ete. Plums : Rivers' Favourite. Strawberries : Alpine.
Gooseberries : various kinds. Currants : white, red, black. Raspberries : white
and red. Filberts. Cherries : Morello.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumbers. Capsicums.
Out of doors. — Peas : Ne Plus Ultra ; Veitch's Perfection. Beans : Green Long-
pod. French beans. Scarlet runners. Cauliflowers. Cabbage. Carrots.
Onions. Potatoes. Globe artichokes. Vegetal marrows. Lettuces. Curled,
Australian, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Out of doors.— Seed sown : Endive and turnip. Collards
planted.
NATURAL HISTORY. — A young cuckoo captured and placed in Poor Man's house,
where a little sedge-warbler visited it, and fed it for some time till it escaped.
AUGUST 6— 12.— THIRTY-SECOND WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 68°.3, being 6°.2 above the average : highest in
shade, 88°. 2 ; lowest in shade, 5i°.9. — My Garden : highest in shade, 95° ; lowest in
shade, 49°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 157° ; lowest on grass, 44°. Weather,
fine. Rainfall at Greenwich, o.oo inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Odontoglossum Lindleyane.
Out of doors. — Platycodon grandiflorum. Lilium tigrinum. Gladiolus.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Black Hamburgh. Peaches. Figs : -Lee's Perpetual.
Apricots : Passiflora edulis. Melons.
Out of doors.— Apples : Quarrenden ; Irish Peach. Pears : Beurrd Giffard and
Jargonelle. Strawberries : Alpine. Currants : Red and White Dutch. Plums.
Cherries : Morello.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumbers.
Out of doors.— Peas : Ne Plus Ultra ; Veitch's. Potatoes : Rivers' Ash Leaf. Broad
beans. French beans. Scarlet beans. Cauliflowers. Cabbage. Carrots.
Onions. Lettuce. Curled, Australian, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Out of doors. — Planted ' : Savoys, collard, and endive.
During the week the trees, to some extent, have lost their leaves, and assumed
their autumnal tints.
618 MY GARDEN.
AUGUST 13— 19.— THIRTY-THIRD WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 67°. i, being 5°.8 above the average: highest in
shade, 89°.2 ; lowest in shade, 54°.— My Garden: highest in shade, 91°; lowest in shade,
48°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 151° ; lowest on grass, 45°. Weather, fine till
end of the week. Rainfall at my garden, o°.i6 inch ; at Greenwich, o°.6g inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Lassandria macrantha.
Out of doors. — Lilium tigrinum. Platycodon chinensis. Tritonia aurea.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes. Pine-apple. Peaches. Nectarines. Figs. Passiflora
edulis.
Out of doors. — Apples : Irish Peach ; Early Strawberry. Pears : Beurrd Giffard ;
Jargonelle. Plums. Alpine Strawberries. Raspberries. Gooseberries. Currants,
red and white.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Tomatoes. Cucumbers. Chilis. Capsicums.
Out of doors. — Peas : Ne Plus Ultra. Broad beans. French beans and Scarlet
runners. Cabbage. Cauliflowers. Carrots. Turnips. Onions. Lettuces.
Curled, Australian, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS. — Seeds sown: Spinach; lettuce; onions — Flat Tripoli, Giant
Rocca, Globe, Tripoli, Spanish, Blood-red ; curled and Australian cress. Endive
planted out. Celery earthed.
AUGUST 20— 26.— THIRTY-FOURTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 63°, being 2°.4 above the average : highest in
shade, y8°.7 ; lowest in shade, 5o°.6. — My Garden : highest in shade, 81° ; lowest in
shade, 43°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 143° ; lowest on grass, 45°. Weather,
fine. Rainfall at Greenwich, 0.09 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Oncidium Harrisonianum. Stanhopea, sp.
Out of doors. — Sedum Fabaria. Echeveria metallica. Helenium Hooperii. Lobelia.
Lilium auratum.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Black Hamburgh ; Sweetwater. Peaches : Royal George ;
Noblesse ; Early Grosse Mignon, Nectarines : Rivers' Orange ; White Roman ;
Magdalen. Figs : Lee's Perpetual. Melons : Green flesh.
Out of doors. — Apples: Quarrenden ; Kerry Pippin; Duchess of Oldenburgh.
Pears : Beurrd Giffard ; Jargonelle. Plums : Orleans ; Denniston ; Victoria.
Gooseberries : Warrington. Currants : red. Strawberries : Alpine. Nuts : Red
Filberts. Raspberry : October red.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumbers. Tomatoes.
Out of doors. — Peas : Ne Plus Ultra. Kidney beans ; Negro ; Broad beans ;
Green Windsor; Scarlet runners. Cabbage: Nonpareil. Cauliflower. Carrots:
French Horn. Onions: Globe; Tripoli. Turnips: Early Six Weeks. Vegetal
marrows. Lettuces. Curled, Australian, and Water cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Out of doors. — Seeds sown : Cauliflowers : Early London.
CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR 1871. 619
" Next him September marched, eke on foot ;
Yet was he heavy laden with the spoil
Of harvest's riches, which he made his boot."— SPENSER.
AUGUST 27— SEPTEMBER 2.— THIRTY-FIFTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 64°, being 4°.6 above the average : highest in
shade, 82°; lowest in shade, 46°. I.— My Garden: highest in shade, 81°; lowest in
shade, 43°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 145°; lowest on grass. 41°. Rainfall at
Greenwich, 0.02 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Oncidium Harrisonianum.
Out of doors. — Portulacas. Cactus. Nightshade. Lilium lancifolium rubrum.
Margyricarpus setosus. Helianthus decapetalus.
FRUIT: Glass. — Grapes: Black Hamburgh; Sweetwater, Peaches: Royal George ;
Noblesse; Royal Charlotte; Barrington. Nectarines: Rivers' Orange; Magdalen.
Melons: James's; Cox's Scarlet; Golden Gem; Scarlet Gem. Figs: Lee's
Perpetual.
Out of doors. — Apples : Benoni ; Kerry Pippin ; Quarrenden ; Whorle Pippin ; Lord
Suffield ; Duchess of Oldenburgh ; Kentish Codlin. Pears : Beurre' Giffard ;
Jargonelle. Plums: Green Gage; Orleans; Goliath; Coe's Golden Drop; Jefferson ;
Prince of Wales. Nuts: Red Filberts. Strawberries: Alpine. Currants: Red
Dutch. Gooseberries : Warrington. Peaches and Nectarine, from a wall.
VEGETALS: Glass. — Cucumbers. Tomatoes. Capsicums.
Out of doors. — Peas: Ne Plus Ultra. Broad beans; Green Windsor; French
beans; Negro; Scarlet runners. Cauliflowers. Cabbages: Nonpareil. Carrots:
French Horn. Turnips : Early Six Weeks. Onions: Tripoli. Potatoes: Rivers'
Royal Ash Leaf. Vegetal marrows. Globe artichokes. Lettuce. Watercress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS. — Planting geranium and verbena cuttings.
SEPTEMBER 3— 9.— THIRTY-SIXTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich. 6o°,5, being 2°. 6 above the average : highest in
shade, 76°.$ ; lowest in shade, 46°.6.— My Garden : highest in shade, 81° ; lowest in
shade, 45°. Black bulb: highest in sunshine, 141°; lowest on grass, 40°. Weather,
fine, Rainfall at my garden, o°.56 inch ; at Greenwich, o°.66 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Aristolochia gigas.
Out of doors. — Vallota purpurea. Lilium lancifolium album.
FRUIT : Glass — Grapes : Black Hamburgh. Melons : Golden Perfection ; Scarlet
Gem. Peaches : Royal George ; Noblesse. Nectarines : Rivers' Orange ;
Violet Hative.
Out of doors.— Peaches. Plums : Goliath ; Prince of Wales ; Green Gage ; Black
Piamond ; Victoria, Apples : Quarrenden ; Kerry Pippin ; Gravenstein ; Kentish
Codlin ; Lord Suffield ; Pratt's Pudding. Pears : Jargonelle. Strawberries :
Alpine. Currants : Red Dutch.
GARDEN OPERATIONS.— Out of doors : Cuttings of geraniums and verbenas planted.
Collards planted. Onions taken up.
620 MY GARDEN.
SEPTEMBER 10—16.— THIRTY-SEVENTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 62°.6, being 5°.3 above the average : highest in
shade, 78°.6 ; lowest in shade, $2°.$. — My Garden: highest in shade, 79°; lowest in
shade, 49°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 140° ; lowest on grass, 43°. Weather,
fine. Rainfall at Greenwich, o°.oo inch. .
FLOWERS : Glass. — Ipomcea Horsfalli.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Black Hamburgh ; Chasselas Musque. Pine-apple :
Queen. Melons : Scarlet Gem ; Golden Perfection. Peaches : Royal George ;
Noblesse. Nectarines : Rivers' Orange ; Pitmaston ; Violet Hative.
Out of doors. — Apples : Kerry Pippin; King of the Pippins ; Ribston; Lord Suffield ;
Pratt's Pudding. Pears : Williams' ; Beurre Goubault. Plums : Gisborne ;
Victoria ; Green Gage. Gooseberries : Warrington. Strawberries : Alpine.
Filberts.
VEGETALS: Glass. — Tomatoes. Cucumbers.
Out of doors. — Peas : Ne Plus Ultra. French beans ; Negro ; Scarlet runners.
Cauliflowers. Cabbage : Early York. Turnips : Six Weeks. Carrots : French
Horn. Onions : Shallats. Lettuce. Curled, Australian, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Pot plants cleaned ready for the glass-houses.
Out of doors. — Apples, pears, and nuts gathered.
SEPTEMBER 17— 23.— THIRTY-EIGHTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 53°.6, being 2°.4 below the average : highest in
shade, 6j°.6 ; lowest in shade, 39°. — My Garden : highest in shade, 80° ; lowest in
shade, 34°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 130° ; lowest on grass, 30°. Weather,
fine. Rainfall at Greenwich, o°. 10 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Stanhopea.
Out of doors. — Aster.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Black Hamburgh. Melons. Peaches : Late Admirable.
Out of doors.^- Apples : Ribston Pippin ; Kerry Pippin ; King of the Pippins; Lord
Suffield ; Pratt's Pudding. Pears : Beurre Goubault ; Williams'. Plums :
Victoria; Yellow Magnum Bonum.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Tomatoes. Cucumbers.
Out of doors. — French beans ; Scarlet runners. Cabbage. Cauliflowers. Carrots.
Onions. Lettuce. Curled and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS. — Apples and pears gathered. Cabbages planted. Lettuce
planted. Celery earthed.
SEPTEMBER 24— 30.— THIRTY-NINTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 5o°.2, being 4°.3 below the average : highest in
shade, 65 °.6 ; lowest in shade, 41°. 9. — My Garden : highest in shade, 66°; lowest in
shade, 41°. Black bulb: highest in sunshine, 115°; lowest on grass, 34°. Weather,
wet and stormy. Rainfall at my garden, 3.2 inches ; at Greenwich, 3.34 inches.
CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR 1871. 621
FRUIT: Glass.— Grapes : Black Hamburgh; Chasselas Musqud. Peaches:
Admirable. Figs : Lcc's Perpetual. Melons.
Out of doors.— Apples : Ribston Pippin; Cox's Orange Pippin ; Kerry Pippin ;
Royal Pearmain ; Lord Suffield. Pears: Williams' Bon Chretien. Plums:
Golden Drop.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Tomatoes. Cucumbers.
Out of doors. — French beans ; Scarlet runners. Cauliflowers. Cabbage. Carrots.
Onions. Lettuce. Curled, Australian, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS.— Ferns and Climbers in house cleared.
Out of doors. — Onions stored. Crocus bulbs planted. Anemones planted. Apples
and pears gathered.
" Then came October, full of merry glee ;
For yet his noule was totty of the must
Whiche he was treading in the wine-fat's see."— SPENSER.
OCTOBER i— 7.— FORTIETH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 5i°.9, being i°. 4 below the average : highest in
shade, 64°.8 ; lowest in shade, 4i°.5. — My Garden : highest in shade, 65°; lowest in
shade, 37°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 130° ; lowest on grass, 34°. Rainfall
at Greenwich, 0.77 inch.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Black Hamburgh. Peach : Late Admirable. Figs : Lee's
Perpetual.
Out of doors.— Apples : Ribston Pippin ; King of the Pippins ; Kerry Pippin ;
Royal Pearmain ; Lord Suffield ; Lord Grosvenor. Pears : Beurrd Goubault ;
Alexandrina. Plums : Scarlet Magnum Bonum. Filberts.
VEGETALS : Glass. — French beans. Tomatoes. Capsicums. Cucumbers.
Out of doors. — Scarlet runners. Cabbages. Collards. Carrots. Cauliflowers.
Brussels sprouts. Onions. Celery. Curled, Australian, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Potting and housing ferns. Top-dressing rosaries.
On October 4th a collection of apples from my garden was exhibited at the Inter-
national Fruit Show at the Horticultural Society, for which an extra prize was awarded.
For the best collection of dessert apples mine secured the first prize for 60 dishes
of what was reported as " very fine fruit." For culinary apples, the second prize
was obtained for 50 dishes, which were reported " not to be quite so large as we
usually have them, but very good for the season." The second prize was awarded for
dessert pears, the first having been obtained by MM. Baltet of Troyes. As all my fruit
was of my own growth, this test of the mode of horticulture, and the character of my
selections, was very satisfactory to me, competing as I did against the gardens of all
other European countries, and of all the large nurserymen of England.
OCTOBER 8— 14.— FORTY-FIRST WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 45°-5, being 5°.9 below the average ; highest in
shade, 59°.2 ; lowest in shade, 3i°.2. — My Garden : highest in shade, 60° ; lowest in
622 MY GARDEN.
shade, 29°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 130°. 5 ; lowest on grass, 27°. Rainfall
at Greenwich, o.oo inch.
FLOWERS : Out of doors. — Aster multiflorus.
FRUIT: Glass. — Grapes: Black Hamburgh ; Chasselas Musque. Peaches : Admirable.
Pine-apple : Queen. Figs : Lee's Perpetual.
Out of doors. — Apples : Ribston Pippins ; King of Pippins ; Court of Wick ;
Golden Pippin. Pears : Louise Bonne ; Autumn Bergamot. Plums : Rochester
Damson. Filberts.
VEGETALS : Glass* — Tomatoes. Capsicums. French beans. Cucumbers.
Out of doors. — Scarlet runners. Brussels sprouts. Collards. Cauliflowers.
Cabbage, Onions. Carrots. Spinach. Celery. Curled, Australian, and Water
Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS.— Cauliflower plants placed in frames to stand the winter.
Endive placed in frames for protection*
OCTOBER 15— 21.— FORTY-SECOND WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 5 3°. 5, being 4° above the average : highest in
shade, 68°4 ; lowest in shade, 34°. 5. — My Garden : highest in shade, 6i°.5 ; lowest in
shade, 30°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 132° ; lowest on grass, 27°. Rainfall
at my garden, not observed ; at Greenwich, 0.55 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass.^— Echevefia metallica.
Oiit of doors. — Oxalis, sp. Chrysanthemums. Violets in abundance. Roses, fine
specimens cut.
FRUIT : Glass.— Grapes : Golden Hamburgh ; Black Hamburgh ; Chasselas Musque.
Figs : Lee's Perpetual. Pine-apple : Queen.
Out of doors. — Apples: Ribston Pippin ; King of Pippins; Golden Pippin; Court
of Wick ; Lord Sumeld ; Lord Derby. Pears : Beurrd Clairgeau ; Beurre' Super-
fin ; Beurre" d'Aremburg. Plums : Rochester Damson.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Tomatoes. Capsicums. Cucumbers. French beans.
Out of doors. — Scarlet runners. Brussels sprouts. Cabbage. Collard. Carrots.
Onions. Spinach. Celery. Beet. Curled, Australian, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Lettuce seed sown in frame to stand the winter in
frames.
Out of doors. — Late apples and pears gathered. Rose-trees mulched with stable
manure. Pear-trees transplanted.
OCTOBER 22— 28.— FORTY-THIRD WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 46°-9, being i° below the average : highest in
shade, 58°.6 ; lowest in shade, 33°. — My Garden : highest in shade, 70° ; lowest in
shade, 29°. Black bulb: highest in sunshine, 154° ; lowest on grass, 23°. Weather,
fine. Rainfall at Greenwich, o.oi inch.
FLOWERS : Glass.— Erica.
Out of doors.— Lily of the field (Amaryllis lutea).
CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR 1871. 623
FRUIT : Glass.— Grapes : Black Hamburgh ; Golden Hamburgh ; Chasselas Musqud ;
White Frontignac. Pine-apple : Queen. Figs : Lee's Perpetual.
Out of doors.— Apples : Ribston Pippin ; King of Pippins ; Golden Pippin ; Court
of Wick ; Lord Suffield ; New Hawthornden. Pears : Doyenne" de Cornice ;
Beurrd Van Mons ; Van Mons Ldon Le Clerc ; America ; Beurre" Diel ; Beurr^
Clairgeau ; Crasanne ; Dorothde Royale nouvelle ; Nouvelle Fulvie ; Napoleon ;
Duchesse d'Angouleme ; Marie Louise.
VEGETALS : Glass—- Tomatoes. Capsicums. Cucumbers.
Out of doors.— Brussels sprouts. Cauliflowers. Collard. Cabbage. Carrots.
Onions. Spinach. Celery. Beet. Curled, Australian, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass.— Potting hyacinths.
Out of doors. — Lifting and transplanting pear-trees. Repotting and top-dressing
of peach, nectarine, apricot, apple, pear, plum, and mulberry trees in pots. Plum-
trees lifted and roots pruned. Celery earthed*
" Next was November, he full gross and fat,
As fed with lard ; * * * *
In planting eke he took no small delight." — SPENSER.
OCTOBER 29— NOVEMBER 4.— FORTV-FOURTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 47°. 3, being o°.9 above the average : highest in
shade, 57°.8 ; lowest in shade, 4i°.8.— My Garden : highest in shade, 59° ; lowest in
shade, 32°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 100° ; lowest on grass, 24°. Weather,
fine. Rainfall at Greenwich, 0.04 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass.— Cypripedium insigne.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Black Hamburgh ; White Frontignac. Pine-apple :
Queen.
Out of doors. — Apples : Ribston Pippin ; Cox's Orange Pippin ; Court of Wick ;
New Hawthornden ; Lord Derby, Pears : Beurre' de Lamy ; Beurrd Superfin ;
Beurrd Diel ; Nouveau Poiteau ; Beurrd Clairgeau ; Crasanne.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumber. Capsicum.
Out of doors. — Scarlet runners. Cauliflower. Cabbage. Collards. Brussels
sprouts. Carrots. Artichokes. Spinach. Onions. Celery. Beet. Endive.
Curled, Australian, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Sea-kale placed in frames. Violets planted in
frames.
Out of doors. — Pear-trees lifted. Plum-tree roots pruned.
NATURAL HISTORY. — Redwings first seen on October 31 ; fieldfares on November
2nd.
NOVEMBER 5—11.— FORTY-FIFTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 39°.2, being 5°.; below the average : highest in
shade, 50°; lowest in shade, 26°.4.— My Garden: highest in shade, 49°; lowest in
shade, 26°. Black bulb: highest in sunshine, ui°; lowest on grass, 20°. Weather,
fine. Rainfall at Greenwich, 0.03 inch.
624 MY GARDEN.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Cyclamens. Epacris.
FRUIT : Glass.— Grapes : Black Hamburgh ; Golden Hamburgh ; Chasselas Musque.
Out of doors.— Apples : Ribston Pippin ; Cox's Orange Pippin ; Court of Wick ;
Golden Pippin ; New Hawthornden ; Cellini Pippin. Pears : Dr. Trousseau ;
Doyenne" Sieulle ; Van Mons Leon Le Clerc ; Beurre Diel ; Josephine de Malines ;
Autumn Bergamot ; Beurre Superfin.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumbers.
Out of doors. — Brussels sprouts. Cabbage. Collards. Carrots. Artichokes.
Spinach. Onions. Cauliflowers. Celery. Beet. Endive. Curled, Australian,
and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass.— Rose cuttings potted. Pot roses housed.
Otit of doors. — Rhubarb arranged for forcing. Pear-trees pruned. Pear-tree
orchard manured and dug.
NOVEMBER 12— 18.— FORTY-SIXTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 35°.3, being 7°.6 below the average : highest in
shade, 51° ; lowest in shade, 25°.o. — My Garden: highest in shade, 55° ; lowest in
shade, 20°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 91° : lowest on grass, 15°. Weather,
snow-storm on I7th. Rainfall at Greenwich, 0.29 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Epacris. Camellias.
FRUIT: Glass. — Grapes : Black Hamburgh; Golden Hamburgh; Chasselas Musque' ;
Frontignac. Pine-apple : Queen.
Out of doors. — Apples : Ribston Pippin ; King of Pippin ; Golden Pippin ; Court
of Wick ; Syke House Russet ; New Hawthornden. Pears : Chaumontelle ;
Autumn Bergamot ; Josdphine de Malines ; Dr. Trousseau ; Gansell's late Berga-
. mot ; Huyshe's Victoria ; Forelle ; Swan's Egg.
VEGETALS : Glass.— Cucumbers.
Out of doors. — Brussels sprouts. Collards. Carrots. Jerusalem artichokes.
Spinach. Turnips. Horse-radish. Onions. Celery. Beet. Endive. Curled,
Australian, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Housing pot fruit-trees. Potting verbenas.
Out of doors. — Asparagus beds manured and covered up. Apple-trees pruned.
NOVEMBER 19— 25.— FORTY-SEVENTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 34°.3, being 7°.! below the average: highest in
shade, 44°. 2 ; lowest in shade, 20°. 3. — My Garden : highest in shade, 55°; lowest in
shade, 17°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 91° ; lowest on grass, 10°. Rainfall
at Greenwich, o.io inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Primula fimbriata alba. Peristeria alata.
Out of doors. — Violets : Czar.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Black Hamburgh ; Golden Hamburgh ; Chasselas Musqud ;
Buckland's Sweetwater ; White Frontignac.
CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR 1871. 625
Out of doors.— Apples : Ribston Pippin ; Golden Pippin ; Court of Wick ;
Pearson's Plate ; Cornish Gilliflower ; New Havvthornden. Filberts. Pears :
Zdphirin Grdgoire ; Josdphinede Malines ; Bergamotte Esperen ; Chaumontelle;
Forelle.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumber.
Out of doors. — Brussels sprouts. Collards. Spinach. Leeks. Artichokes. Carrots.
Turnips. Onions. Red cabbage. Celery. Beet. Endive. Curled, Australian,
and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS. — Plunging pot fruit-trees and covering roots with straw.
Pruning apple-trees. Covering sea-kale roots. Collecting leaves. Forking flower-
border. Storing parsnips.
NATURAL HISTORY. — Eight sea-gulls passed over towards the east. About thirty
wild ducks passed south.
" And after him came next the chill December ;
Yet he, through merry feasting which he made,
And great bonfires, did not the cold remember." — SI-EXSEK.
NOVEMBER 26— DECEMBER 2.— FORTY-EIGHTH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 36^4, being 5°.2 below the average : highest in
shade, 42°.^ ; lowest in shade, 28°.5. — My Garden : highest in shade, 49° ; lowest in
shade, 24°.$. Black bulb: highest in sunshine, 70° ; lowest on grass, 19°. Weather,
nne> — Rainfall at Greenwich, 0.12 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Tropreolum : Fire-ball.
P^RUIT : Glass.— Grapes : Black Hamburgh; Muscat of Alexandria; Ingram's
Muscat.
Out of doors. — Apples : Ribston Pippin ; Golden Pippin ; Golden Pearmain ;
Pearson's Plate ; Court of Wick ; New Hawthornden ; Cellini. Filberts. Pears :
Glout Morceau ; Forelle.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Cucumber. Mustard.
Out of doors. — Brussels sprouts. Collards. Spinach. Leeks. Artichokes. Carrots.
Turnips. Onions. Celery. Beet. Endive. Curled, Australian, and Water Cress.
All deciduous trees had lost their leaves, the elm being the last.
GARDEN OPERATIONS. — Rhubarb taken up and housed for forcing. Carrots and
parsnips stored for winter.
DECEMBER 3— 9.— FORTY-NIiNTH WrEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 29°.8, being 12°.! below the average : highest in
shade, 39°.7 ; lowest in shade, i8°.6.— My Garden : highest in shade, 42° ; lowest in
shade, 11°. Black bulb: highest in sunshine, 61°; lowest on grass, 9°. Weather,
frost. Rainfall at Greenwich, 0.04 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass.— Camellia fimbriata. Primula fimbriata rubra.
S S
626 MY GARDEN.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes: Muscat of Alexandria ; White Tokay; Ingram's Muscat;
Black Hamburgh (last).
Out of doors. — Ribston Pippin; Cox's Orange Pippin; Pearson's Plate; Early
Nonpareil ; Golden Pippin ; Cellini ; New Hawthornden. Filberts. Pears :
Glout Morceau ; Beurrd Sterckmans ; Forelle ; Late Gansel's Bergamot.
VEGETALS : Glass — Cucumbers. Mustard. Chicory.
Out of doors. — Brussels sprouts. Cabbages. Collards. Spinach. Leeks. Carrots.
Onions. Turnips. Jerusalem artichokes. Parsnips. Celery. Beet. Endive.
Curled, Australian, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass.— Cleaning plants.
Out of doors. — Raking leaves. Wheeling manure.
DECEMBER 10— 16— FIFTIETH WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 39\9, being o°.6 below the average : highest in
shade, 47°. 2 ; lowest in shade, 27°.2. — My Garden : highest in shade, 49° ; lowest in
shade, 21°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 85°; lowest on grass, 18°. Weather,
thaw on the I2th. Rainfall at Greenwich, o.io inch.
FLOWERS : Glass. — Epiphyllum truncatum. Epidendrum ciliare. Cypripedium bar-
batum. Pancratium.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Muscat of Alexandria ; Canon Hall Muscat ; \Vhite
Tokay ; Ingram's Muscat.
Out of doors. — Apples : Ribston Pippin ; Cox's Orange Pippin ; Pearson's Plate ;
Early Nonpareil ; New Hawthornden ; Cellini ; Lord Derby. Nuts. Pears :
Beurrd Sterckmans ; Glout Morceau.
VEGETALS : Glass.— Cucumbers. Mustard. Chicory.
Out of doors. — Brussels sprouts. Cabbages. Collards. Spinach. Leeks. Carrots.
Turnips. Parsnips. Jerusalem artichokes. Onions. Celery. Beet. Curled,
Australian, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Cleaning plants. Mustard-seed sown.
Out of doors.— Planting gooseberry and currant trees. Transplanting fruit-trees.
Digging.
DECEMBER 17— 23.— FIFTY FIRST WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 41°. 6, being 2°.6 above the average : highest in
shade, 48°.8 ; lowest in shade, 35°-3. — My Garden : highest in shade, 5o°.5 : lowest in
shade, 30°. • Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 70° ; lowest on grass, 24°. Weather,
wet and dull. Rainfall at Greenwich, 0.5 1 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass.— Acacia vestita.
FRUIT : Glass. — Graces : Muscat of Alexandria ; WThite Tokay ; Ingram's Muscat ;
Canon Hall Muscat.
Out of doors. — Apples : Ribston Pippin ; Golden Pippin ; Cellini ; New Haw-
CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR 1871. 627
thornden ; Court of Wick ; Reinette Ananas ; Cornish Gilliflower. Pears :
Josephine de Malines.
VEGETALS : Glass.— Cucumbers. Mustard. Sea-kale. Chicory.
Out of doors.— Brussels sprouts. Cabbage. Collards. Spinach. Leeks. Arti-
chokes. Parsnips. Carrots. Turnips. Onions. Beet. Celery. Celeraic
Endive. Curled, Australian, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. — Parsley planted under glass. Mustard-seed sown.
Out of doors. — Seeds sown ; First crop of peas. Early Mazagan bean. Digging
spare ground. Planting gooseberry, apple, and pear trees.
NATURAL HISTORY. — Redwings, missel thrushes, and common thrushes sang.
DECEMBER 24— 30.— FIFTY-SECOND WEEK.
Mean temperature at Greenwich, 43°, being 5°.6 above the average : highest in
shade, 48°.4 ; lowest in shade, 36°. — My Garden : highest in shade, 49° ; lowest in
shade, 34°. Black bulb : highest in sunshine, 69° ; lowest on grass, 25°. Weather,
mild and wet. Rainfall at Greenwich, 0.56 inch.
FLOWERS : Glass, — Dendrobium moniliforme. Azalea alba. ,Epacris. Cinerarias.
Out of doors. — Helleborus niger. Jasminium nudiflorum.
FRUIT : Glass. — Grapes : Canon Hall Muscat ; Muscat of Alexandria ; White.
Tokay ; West's St. Peter's ; Lady Downe's.
Out of doors. — Apples : Mannington's Pearmain ; Old Nonpareil ; Reinette
Ananas ; Golden Drop ; Blenheim Orange ; Wellington ; Petworth Nonpareil ;
Warner's King.
VEGETALS : Glass. — Forced sea-kale. Mustard. Endive.
Out of doors. — Brussels sprouts. Collards. Savoys. Carrots. Leeks. Parsnips.
Turnips. Spinach. Artichokes. Onions. Beet. Celery. Celeraic. Corn
salad. Curled, Australian, and Water Cress.
GARDEN OPERATIONS : Glass. —Potting cinerarias. Sponging and cleaning plants.
Laying cucumber plants.
Out of doors.— Covering sea-kale. Pruning apple-trees. Digging between fruit-
trees. Digging flower-borders.
NATURAL HISTORY. — Thrush, missel thrush, and robin sang.
THE year 1871, which commenced with frost and snow, ended with
rain and warmth.
In the Cucumber-house the Dove orchid was again in flower, and
the cucumber was ready for use.
The Vinery again had its Muscat grapes, Lady Dowr.e's Seedlings,
and West's St. Peter's.
S S 2
628
MY GARDEN.
The Poor Man's house contributed the flowers of the azalea, of
cyclamens, geraniums, camellias, and of the epacris and acacia.
The Indoor Fernery was again glorious to look upon, and was
embellished by the Poinsettia, epiphyllum, passion-flower, and cypri-
pedium.
The Fruit-room was again stored with abundance of apples.
Out of doors, the Christmas rose and Jasmininm nudiflorum
gladdened our eyes with their welcome flowers.
After all the changes of . the seasons of 1871 the vegetation of the
garden, substantially in the same state at the end of the year as it was
at the beginning, was ready to undergo another cycle of' changes for
the year 1872.
" Times do change and move continually,
So nothing here long standeth in one stay :
Wherefore this lower world who can deny
But to be subject still to mutability."
Plate 22.
I N D K X.
A
'•»" ''Ciich, 1 7 j
Adiantum reniforme 394 Allium sativum, 118 Alpine Flowers— cantd.
tenerum, 395 Schcenoprasum, 118 Kerry, 329
tinctum. MS Alliums, 316
Alpine Flowers- <o*ul.
Mants pumilio, 3*0
>amhe« tnloliata,
. 375 trapeziforme, 394 Allspice, 442
.,411 Adiantums. 44. W. 304 Almond leaves, attacked
rcticulatus 314
sati\
. 437
American. 41 " by aphis, 369
Dianthus, 332
otis dwsiliflorii.
' T '
Advowson of St. Marv's Almond-tree, 435
chincnsis, 322
3J8 .
t liurcli, Bcddington.ac- Almonds, growth of, 199
Count of, 14 Alnus ylntinosa, 417
fra^rans, 322
Dodecatheon Meadia.
1 alustris, 319
rutic .la, 310
Advowson of \Vallington Alocasia metallica, 261
3^8
svlvaiica, 318
Miithe, its pernicious
;;tilon vexillarium, 290
banana, 203
•rimrose, 326
C'hurch, account of, 17
.V'c dium cydonia:, 363
violac, 362
orchids, 300
crispum orchid, 300
Aloysia citriodora, 423
ALPINE FLOWEKS. 305: —
Abyssinian primrose,
326
Draba beotica. 328
-ra rotuudifolia,
329
Echeveria grandiflora,
l>mphal«»des verua, 31*
Oxalidz. 316
Oxalis Acetotella, 3'«
rosca. 316
\phytum bracteo-
icia, 253, 424
- 253
.x Zclandiac,
an thus mollis, 233
arus, 454
: imesticus, 453
.der, 179, 183
• entor modulans, 549
.Ksi bvnantlius, 286
.Ks, uius hippocastanum,
412
rubicunda, 413
African marigold, 241
Agaricus campestris, 357
disseminatus, 356
euosmus, 356
fascicularis, 360
Acaena Novz Zelan-
dia;, 323
Allium nutans, 316
Alliums, 316
Alpine rose, 318
snapdragon, 32*
thrift, 32-2
wallflower, 324
Al>ssiim alpestre, 321
metallica. 313
navicularis, 313
sanguinea, 313
secunda, 313
Echeverias, 313
Erica herbacea, 317
Krigeron Roy lei i
i. 328
Epimedmmrubrum, 321
sum.
Papaver 'nudicau •
Parnassia palustr
Pncque-flowr
Pentstcmon glaber, 323
Phlox diva-
Nelvonii, 323
Phloxes, 323
Pinguicula vulgwi*,
cr pseudo-piataniis, 420
i : . ropophora,
;• r mtia atropo.s, 487
•hilk-a millifolium, 338
fcrtilis, 359
spadiceus, 356
Agcralum mexicanum,
2^6
Ailanthus glandulosa,
saxatiie, 323
Amaryllis, 316
American cowslip, 328
Anemone apennina,
3'5
Epimediiiin
Forget-me-nois, 318
19, 314
Genista sagittalis, 329
Genriana acaulis, 324
P^-gala Chamacbuxu*.
Potentilla Anserina, 327
tillas, 3«7
:himenes, 264, 286
-<-•, 275
Winter, 215
Nai ellus 221
• s mistaken for
\ulolepis,
fossil, 26
,111 crinitum, 402
Alauda arb.orea, 544
arvensis, 544
Alba plena camellia, 250
Alcedo Ispida, 536
Alder. 4.7
Alexandra apple, 150
pear, 157
Alfred Coiomb rose, 271
nemorosa, 314
palmata, 315
pulsatilla, 315
Anemones, 314
Antirrhinums, 322
Aphyllanthes Monspeli-
• 323
arachnoideum, 314
Arenaria balearica, 323
Armeria vulgans, ^22
gelida, 325
Pneumonanthe, 325
vcrna, 324
Gentianas, 324
Geum concinneum. 323
tin.-phalium arenarium,
d oicum, 327
leuntoj'txlium. 327
nassus, 320
"l^des*^11*
auricula, 3*7
dentic»lata. 396
-. 326
Primulas, 336
Rhododendron, or Al-
pine rose, 318
vaxattli* 329
•••*. 3«4
' *• r.uiiata 30^
45:-
Aubrietia Campbelli
t t rime.tu iiiow- Salix herhacea, 31)
1 i V'- h/ard 510
•inum mo- 378
drop, 314 B oaf !§• v.. .n. i..
vi chcrrv i?6 niliforme, 347 barberry, 329
.Cherry,, 76 ^ ^ i,|u,l.e||.. 3,4
.,,j.uc 181 glomerata, 347 bog-bean, 330
.. in J4° Bulbocodhim vernum,
growth of, 391
hare-bell. 325 ' "• ' s '
heather, common, 317 • •< l :t sl " '
heat! ion.twr.jyra-
:aldia gli.n.c
Hclianthemum vulgare, ' ^midali*. jof
ta, 348
;ll of Roman I-vn.^.ya mur,
t;ne, 346
butterwort. 320
•'•'«, 3>5
1-uris vulgaris 330
Iri-, 317
globifera. jip
H '
V
Protococcu* viridis. 34^ (Jamoanula i
i. 317
doutite), 3°9
v ;ijitllus- vcnc
Tetr.' alba. 125
nudicaulis, 317
'S 3'°
~ 5. 385. 394
">. 394
cuneatum, 37*. 395
;nema spiralw, 348
Alisma pl.intano. 34°
Allamanda Hend
garganica, 326
32$
P. . , - i , ^ H
:l,e field. 316
Linaria alpina. 3*2
li 3»»
ii^E!3^
1-arieyen-
Feei, 395
mi, 385, 394
291
Allectus, Roman
foun 1 at Heddington. 4
«l>ple,
Linnxa borealU, 318
I.inumlUvum. 3*0
,'• paw cudweed,
727
pectinau, 310
Saxifrages. 308
SciHaUfol.
kibifka, 31 3
speculum, 326
Lheimnthus alpinus.
Al'.i , . 116 dberry, 399
^pcrmum fruti- mitan-.
C^^l.Mk -•^UjljiMI HA
Al,i,,::. .. » l.hicum auiumnale,
, umbilicus
1'orn,
•"• •>'
Faba.
-
hum, 319 Seduros, jia
630
INDEX.
Alpine Flowers — contd.
America pear, 161
Animals of the Garden-*- Antoninus, Itinerary of, 5 Apoles— continued.
Sempervivum anoma-
American adiantums, 41
continued. Ant, black, its use, 465
Dumelovv's Seeili
lum, 312
blight, 476
mole, 517 Ants, 464
138
arachnoideum, 312
cowslip, 328
rabbit, 521
Aphides, 473
Duvesne, 142
arboreum, 312
crab, 152
short-tailed campagnol, ! attack larch-trees, 433
Early Harvest, 149
arenarium, 312
cranberry, 204
520
attack almond and
Early Julien, 149
Bollii, 312
cress, 04
squirrel, 5:6
peach leaves, 369
'Early Juneating, 14
californicum, 311
maple, 420
stoat, 521
cause potato disease,
Early Nonpareil, 14
ciliare, 312
oak, 414
water rat. or vole, 518
475, &c.
Early Red Marga
globiferum, 3iz
plants, 441
water shrew, 520
Aphis, American blight,
144
hirtum, 312
Strap Leaf turnip, 120
weasel, 521
476
Early Strawberry, i
montanum, 311
Pittoni, 312
weeping willow, 416
Ampelopsis hederacea,
ANIMALCULES IN THK jjJS^j
Emperor Alexam
repens, 312
281
i!™ER,AT MYGAR~: currant4/476
Empress Eugenie, i
soboliferum, 312
Amygdalus communis, 199
DEN, 445 : —
dianthi, 474
Forfar Pippin, 149
spinosum, 312
tabulaeforme, 312
436
persica, 436
Amoeba, 445
Bursalis vernalis, 446
fabae, 475
floris rapae, 475
Fox Whelp, 153
Franklin's Golden ]
tectorum, 311
Anacharis, 314
Melicerta ringens, 447
graveolens 99
pin, 149
Wu'fenii, 312
Analysis of water of Cen-
Monads, 446
Hyalopteris pruni, 475
French Crab, 152
Sempervivums, 311
tral Brook in my gar-
Rotatoria, 447
lemon, 478
Gloria Mundi, 138,
Shamrock, 316
den, 30
Siagontherium tenue,
me lifica, 458
Gloucester, 149
Silene acaulis, 320
of old well at Croydon,
o44? •
melon, 196
Golden Harvey,
alpestris, 320
Soldanella alpina, 327
of Crystal Waterfall, 30
btylomchia, 446
Vaginicola, 446
monspeliensis, 323
oak, 473
M7, 153,
Golden Knob, 149
Solidago cambrica, 329
of new well at Croydon,
Vorticella, 446
pea, 476
Golden Pippin, i
Speedwells (Veronica),
Aniseed, 126
plum, 475
*53
319
Statice latifolia, 322
Sternbergia lutea, 316
river Wandle as it
flows through my gar-
den, 30
Anne Boleyn's well, 27
Annuals, how to grow, 240
quercus, 477
rapae, 462, 474
rose, 473
Gooseberry Pippin,
Grange's Pearmain,
Gravenstein, 145
Stoneberry, 329
of sewage of Croydon,
ANNUALS, 240 :—
rumicis, 474, 475
Hawthornden, 150
Stonecrops, 310
33
African marigold, 241
vastator, 123, 474
Herefordshire Pea
Thalictrum minus, 321
Anas Boschas, 526
asters, 244
Aponogeton dystachyon,
main, 149
Thalictrums, 321
Penelope, 526
c istor oil plant, 246
r & J J '
2OO
Holcar Pippin, 149
Thrifts, 322
Trillium grandiflorum,
Anaspole japonica, 202
Ancylus fluviatilis, 493
Chilian beet, 243
Convolvulus minor, 245
Apple-tree Walk, 42, 44
Apple-trees cells of, 91
Hubbard's Pearm
149
Triteleia uniflora, 317
Andromeda speciosa, 443
Andropogon schcenan-
Coreopsis tinctoria, 241
Dianthus chinensis, 243
destroyed by aphides,
476
Hughes' Golden ]
pin, 149
Trollius europajus, 329
thus, 333
evening primrose, 245
diseases of, 141
Irish Peach, 138, 14
Venus's Looking-glass,
Anemone, 215, 314
everlastings, 242
forcing of, 142
Juneating, 139
326
Veronica amcena 319
apennina, 315
giant sunflower, 242
grown as apple espalier, Keidleston Pippin,
aphylla, 319
hepatica, 216
larkspurs, 246
141
as hollow bowls, 141
Keswick Codlin, 150
Candida, 319
nemorosa, 314
lupins, 245
as standards, 141
King of the Pipp
Chama^drys, 319
of Rome,where they are
mignonette, 242
in pots, 142
145
maritima, 319
grown, 44
nasturtium, 246
on a cordon, 143
Lamb Abbey Pearm
nummularia, 319
palmata, 315
nemophilas, 240
growth of, 137
t 140
repens, 319
Pulsatilla, 315
Phlox •Drummondii, 243
propagation of, 139
Lord Derby, 138, 15
rupestre, 319
vitifolia, 216
portulacas, 246
Pruning of, 140
Lord Sufneld, 138, i
saxatilis, 319
Anemia fraxinifolia, 404
scabious, 245
• r i t_
varieties of, how ob-
Mala Cala, 142
spicata, 319
Anemias, 404
sweet-pea, 241
tained, 138
Mannington's Pea
Teucrium, 319
Anethum fosniculum, 132
scarlet, 241
worked on Paradise
main, 146
virginica, 319
Angelica, 126
sweet sultan, 245
stock, 91
Margil, 149
Vicia Cracca, 329
Wallflower, 324
Angelina labyrintheca,455
Angiopteris erecta, 404
stocks, 242
Virginian, 240
APPLES, 137 : —
McClellan, 149
Melon, 142, 146
Welsh golden rod, 329
Anglo-^axon blue glass
Zinnia elegans, 242
Adams' Pearmain, 147
Mother Apple, 149
yellow flax, 329
bead, 7
Anona, 200
Allen's Everlasting, 149
New Hawthornden,
poppy, 321
bronze bracelet, 7
Anaectochilus argenteus,
Ashmead's Kernel, 149
Newton Pippin, i
Alpine plants, 41, 305
cinerary urns, 6
262, 300
Astrachan, 149
142, 146, 149
why they cannot be
implements, 6
arg^nteus orchid, 300
Baxter's Pearmain, 149
Norfolk Biffin, 138
grown at Floren :e, 53
knives, 7
pictus orthid, 301
Benoni, 144
Normandy Pippin,
Alpine polypody, 41
remains at Beddington,
Dawsonianus orchid, 301
Bess Pool, 149
Northern Spv, 142,
strawberries, varieties
6
Lowii orchid, 300
Blenheim Orange, 138,
Old Nonpareil, n
of, 181, 184
silver penny, 7
(macodes) petola or-
I5I
148
Alpineries, how construct- skeletons, 6
chid, 301
Boston R inset, 147
Ord's, 148
ed, 305
umbones of shields, 7
orchid, varieties of, 3~>o,
Braddick's Nonpareil,
Pearson's Plate, 14?
Alpinery described, 45
Angra^cum sesquipedale
30.1
147, 148
Perle d'Angleterre,
Alps, flowers of, 44
orchid, 302
ordi.ina orchid, 301
Cardinal, 149
Pine apple Russet, ]
Alsoplula, 389
Anguilla acutirostris, 503
setaceus orchid, 301
Cellini Pippin, 138, 150
Pitmaston's Golden
anstralis, 389
Anguis fragilis, 510
intermedius orchid,
Cfaygate Pearmain, 149
Pippin, 149
capense, 389
Animal Kingdom, 445
301
Cockle Pippin, 149
Pine-apple, 145. i
Altaclarense azalea, 442
Animals, entozoa of, 451
Veitchii orchid, 301
Coe's Golden Drop, 146
Pine - apple Pipp
Althaea rosea, 230
mites of, 453
xanthophyllus orchid,
Cornish Gilliflower, 145 145
Altica nemorum, 469
Alcringham carrot, 121
ANIMALS OF THE GAR-
301
Ansell, Mr., 27
Count Orloff, 149
Court-pendu, 142
Russet Nonparei
149
A yssum alpestre, 321
DEN : —
Anson, Admiral, 172
Coutt-pendu Plat, 146
Prince Albert, 149
jaxatile, 323
bats, 516
Anthemis nobilis, 130
Court of Wick Pippin,
Quarrenden, 144
Amaranthus salicifolius,
black rat, 519
Anthomyia cepar.im, 490
T4r,
Red Astrachan, 144
=38
brown rat, 519
Anthonomus pomorum,
Cox's Orange Pippin,
Red Juneating, 144
Amaryllis, 316
cats, 514
468
146, 148
Reine Jaime Hath
Be'ladonna, 255
common mouse, 519
Anthoxanthum odoratum,
Custard, growth of, 200
T44
formosissima, 256
shrew mouse, 520
332
Devonshire Quarren-
Reinette Ananas, 14
propagated by bulbs, 87
dogs, 512 '
Anthriscus cerefolium,i32
den, 144, 148
147
Amateur strawberry, 183
dormouse, 522
Anthus pratensis, 544
Down ton Pippin, i=n
de Madeira, 142
Amber snail, common, 492 \ field mouse, 520
Antiquarian Soc etv, -i Duke Constantine, 140
du Canada, 147, n
Amelanchier Botryapium, harvest mouse, 520 Antirrhinum majus, 228 ' Duke of Devonshire, Petite Grise, 142
4?7 hedgehog, 516 Antirrhinum?;, \7.2 148 Van Mons, 149
1XDEX.
631
lies— coniittufii.
:ii»tm Pippin, 138,
MS. *48
Ascosporium deformans,
369
Ash, common, 417
At'as nut 197 Baxter, on the site of No- Beddington, bwsuitabcut
Atmosphere for growing viomagus, 5 parsonage house at
plants, 49 Baxter's Pearmain ancle. ' IA
t. Sauveur, 149
mountain, 417
Attfield, Professor, 34
149
parish of i
,un Young, 149
carLt Crab, 152
Nonpareil, 138, 147
,crcveton's Golden
Pippin. 147
weepmg, 417
Ashes of burnt cutting of
trees used for vine
borders, 51
Ashmead's Kernel apple,
Aubrey, the historian,
quoted, n, 13
Atibrietia Campbelli, 328
Aucuba jnponica, 437
Aurore du Matin rose,
Bay-trees, 436
Bead, Anglo-Saxon, found
in Irrigation fields, 7
bronze, found amongst
Roman remains, 3
number of acres in, i
Plague at, 15
population of, i
present proprietor of, 16
Queen Elizabeth's oak
iberian Bitter-Sweet,
149
271
Bcadnell's Seedling pear,
18
153
Asparagus, 114
Australian cress, 94
161
Rectors of, 12
Crab, 152
bee I.-, 469
Austrian briar roi-e, 269
Bealii camellia, 250
Roman remains found
Harvey, 153
kale, 113
Autumn Bergamot pear,
Bean, 106
at, 2
mall's Golden Pippin,
pring Ribston, 149
knife, 60
offensive if watered with
a solution of putrid
161
Josephine pear, 162
Axe, 59
aphis, 107, 475
b°K, 330
Dwarf Negro, 107
Sewage-grounds, 33
story of the cherries,
10
tirling Castle, 151
matter, 51
Azalea altaclarensis, 442
French, roS
token issued at in seven-
turmer Pippin, 148
ummer Golden Pip-
officinalis, 114
the reason for salting
Cedo mil i, 251
Countess of Flanders,
Green Long-pod, 106
kidney, 107
teenth centiry, 13
visits of Queen Eliza-
pin, 149
beds of, 50
251
Long-pod, 106
beth to, 9
ykehouse Russet, 149
Imer's Golden Rein
Aspen, 411
Asperulaodorata, 127,332
Due de Nassau, 251
eclatante, 151
Mazagan, 106
NewingtonWonder, 107
will of Sir Nicholas
Carew. of. n. n
ctte, 149
Aspidiotus nerii, 478
extranei, 251
scarlet runner, 108 Park TM« 'r,™
ictoria, 149
Aspidium aculeatum, 399
indica, 250
Bean-stalks, amount of
formerly stocked with
'.-Tiler's King, 151
coriaceum, 399
Iveryana, 251
potash in ashes of, 50
deer. 14
rebb's Russet, 149
rellington, 151
falcatum, 399
Lonchitis, 399
Julius Caesar, 442
La T>eesse, 25 1
Beans, propagated by
seeds, 84
and Orangery, 10
Bprlriintrmf* T
'hite Juneating, 142,
proliferum, 399
Madame Dominique
Bed of sand, Lower Te-- Beds, flowtr, how ar-
144
Aspidiums, 399
Vervaene, 251
tiary series, described, 20 r.ino-prl. -,-,
'illiams' Favourite,
Asplenium Adiantum-ni-
Madame Vervaene", 251
Bed, watercress, site of, 44
e — ? j/
Bee, honey, 458
149
inter Greening, 152
grum, 371, 376, 397
attfrnuatum, 398
Ne Plus Ultra, 442
Pontica, 442
BEDDING PLANTS, 234 :—
humble, 459
orchid. 293 317
Peach, 151
a'.iritum, 398
Prince Henry des Pays
Ageratum mexicanum,
Beech, 418
yken Pippin, 149
ausfalasicum, 397
Bas, 442
236
copper 418
Belangeri, 397
Roi d'Hollande, 251
Amaranthus salicifolius,
pendulous, 419
iles, cider, varieties
British, 376
Souvenir du Prince
238
Durole ^TO
,f 138,152
bulbiferum, 398
Albert, 251
Brugmansia suaveo-
pui fie, 4 iy
Beech fern, 41, 371, 378, 4 o
•okmg, h^t of, 119
canariense, 397
Stella, 251
lesis, 238
Beechwood melon, 196
•ssert, list of, 144, 149
caudatum, 397
Viscocephala, 442
calceolarias, 236
Beef measles, how occa-
fferent in texture,
Ceterach, 398
viscosa, 442
Coleus, 238
sioned, 451
38
iigus of, 367
dispersum, 398
falcatum, 398
yellow, 442
Azaleas, 250, 441
Datura arborea, 238
echeverias, 238
tapeworm, 451
Beet, Carter's variety, 102
tow prevented, 143
Filix-foemina, 397
soils used for, 49
Gazania, 239
Cattell's, 102
pring of, 143
ne for gathering of,
flabellatum, 308
flabelhfolium,"397
vaiie '.es of, 442
geraniums, varieties of,
234
Henderson's pine-app'e,
TO2
fontanum, 376, 397
B.
golden pyrethrum, 238
Nutting's, 102
icots, growth of, 171
formosum, 398
heliotropes, 237
spinach, 109
reda, 172
fragrans, 397
Babylon, hanging gardens
lobelias, 236
sugar, 105
iirly Kaisha, 172
germanicum, 43, 372,
of, 565
pelargoniums, varieties
Beet-roots can be used for
;oorpark, 171
376- 397
Backhouse, Messrs., 308,
of, 235
bread, 102
each, 171
^cot-trees, training of,
goldianum, var. pictum,
385
320, 388, 391
Baker, Mr , 388, 399, 400
petunias, 236
salvias, 237
Beetle, asparagus, 469
dung, 466
-•enium trichomanes.
laceratum, 397
lanceolatum, 376, 397
Baking pears. 155
Balaninus nucum, 467
verbenas, 237
mubk, 468
rove. 470
ratio plants, 41
macilentum, 398
mactophyllum, 398
Baldfaced coot, 529
Balm, 125
Beddington, account of stag, 465
the two manors and wire-worm, 468
jlegia vulgaris, 229
hcaria imbricata, 431
.•r-Viuc, Chinese, 434
marinum, 373, 37^, 397
nidus, var. atistralasi-
cum, 398
Balsam of Peru, 523
Balsam poplar, 412
Banana, Abyssinia, 203
of their proprietors, 7 Beetles, 465
advowson and living of mites of, 453
St. Mary's, 14 water, 470
Thuja. 434
nitidum, 397
growth of, 203
ancient b asses and
Begonia, climbing, 262
Htus unedo, 422
J'angelica olficinalis,
n-Duchesse Augusta
prsemorsum, 397
rhizophorum, 398
Ruta-muraria, 371, 372,
3'6, 397
Banks, Sir Joseph, 204
Panksian Rose, 276
Banksman Gooseberry,
180
other monuments, 13
Anglo-Saxon remains
found at, 6
at the present time, 14.
rex, 2'-2
Begonias, 262
Belemnitella, a'lies of the
cuttle-fish found in them,
Mcllia. 250
fca cinere^, 529
naria balearica. 323
m ater, 491
Colochia gigas, 286
ted tapeworm, 452
reria vulgaris, 322
Is of the Carew
septentrionale, 371, 372,
376, 397
serr.i, 398
\ nchomanes, 376, 397
virile, 371, 375, 397
vivipnrum, 397
Aspleniums, 397
Assyrians, gardens of the,
Barbarea praecox, 94
Barbarossa vine, 189
Barbe du Capucin, 96
Barometer, 66
Baron de Wassenaer rose,
278
Baroness Adolphe de
Rothschild rose, 271
case of longevity at, 15.
Council held at Manor
HousebyHenryVIIL,
9.
coins fv/und at, 3, 4, 7,
Celtic remains found
at, i
24
Belgian Purple plum, 169
Belle de Louva n plum,
1-^9
Bell.-gard peach, 173
Bellis perennis, 226
Bellissime d'Hiver pear,
156
iily, 9 567
niatic plants, 124 | Astacus fluviatilis, 449
Baronne de Noumont
rose, 275
description of St. Mary's
Church, n
Benedictine pear, 162
Bennett, Mr. Risdon. 10
nia moschata, 468
rw-head plant, 340
knisia absinthium, 134
-•acunculus, 129
_ 1 1 s
Aster, 244
chinensis, 244
chrysanthemum-
flowered, 244
Barr, Mr., 132, 213
Barrow, Mr., 190
Basil, 128
Bat, common. 517
extraordinary size o Benoni apple, 144
trees at, 1 3 Berberis, 439
Henry VIII. resided a l, Berberis duicis, 439
Manor House, 9 1 Berberry, 329
r:nokes, no
.rusalem, 121
ra inaculatum, 343
miniature, 244
peony-flowered, 244
pyramidal, 244
great, 517
Batatas edulis, 122 .
Batemnn, Mr., 29
history of, in mediasva 1| Berkeley, Kev. Mr, 356
period, 7 359. 3^3. 3^8, 369
House, built by Sir Bermondsey, 14
ndo donax, 44, 333
r '"la pratensis, 520
Ml.t amphibia, 518
quilled, 244
Astrachan apple, 149
Athyrium, 385
Bath Cos It ttuce, 94
Batrachospermum inonili-
formc, }47
Francis Carew, 9 Bess Pool apple, 149
Irrigation fields, 3. 6, 33 Bet jchilen>is, 243
Mr., 4 v ilearis. 102
jiiiyces def«.rmans, Kilix-fncmina, 381 Pats, 516 ' My Garden in parish Be • .~de la Vii-rge « ••••
flexile, 371 Butersea cabbage, no of, i o .?Ilidse.>, 473
INDEX.
Betula alba, 420
Birds in My Garden —
Black Spanish radish. 97
Brassica oleracea bullata
Beurre pear — contimi
alba pendula, 420
continued.
Blackbird, 550
major, in
i>iel pear, 159
Bezi Mai pear, 161
redpole, lesser, 542
songs of, 554
capitata, no
Easter, ifco
BIENNIAL PLANTS,
redwing, 550
robin or redbreast, 549
Blackcap, 547, 553
Black-skinned turnips,
Rapa, 1 20
Brassia maculata orchid,
Giffard pear, 157
Goubault, 161
247 :
Canterbury bell, 248
rook, 541
sandpiper, 531, 553
120
Blackie, Messrs., 469
299
Brayanum, Rhododen-
Ranee pear, 160
Superfin pear, 159
foxglove, 247
growth of, 247
green, 531
Sclavonian grebe, 528
Blairii rose, 270
Blanchet, site of his
dron, 441
Bray tons, family of the,
Van Mons pear, 161
Bufo vulgari«, 510
horn poppy, 248
musk plant, 248
skylark, 544
snipe, common, 530
grave, 515
Blandyanum Rhododen-
at Beddington, 8
Breda apricot, 172
Bug, harvest, 454
J une, 466
poppy, 248
sweet William, 248
jack, 531
summer, 531, 553
dron, 441
Blaniulus guttatus, 456
Bree's fern, 400
Brenchleyensis, 218
Bulbocodium vernum,
Bigarreau cherry, 176
Bilberry, 444
sparrow-hawk, 553
sparrow, house, 543
Blatta orientalis, 471
Blechnum boreale, 372
Brewer, Mr., 522
Brick rubbish used for
BULBOUS PLANTS,
210 : —
Bill-hook, 59
Bills in Chancery, filed
hedge, 549
tree, 543
brasiliense, 396
corcovadense, 396
manuring plants, 51
Bridge across the Lake,
anemones, 215
cannas, 220
against Croydon Board
spotted fly-catcher, 552
nitidum, var. ~contrac-
44
crocuses 211
of Health, 32
starling, 541
tum, 396
over Backwater, 39
Crown Imperial, 21
Bindweed, 342
stonechat, 549
occidentale, 396
rustic, by side of al-
daffodils, 213
lesser, 342
swallow, 534, 553
orientale, 396
piiiery, 44
Dielytra spectabi is,
Biota orientalis, 434
swan, common, 523
Spicant, 378
Bridges, Elizabeth, lease
dog-tooth violet, 2i_
... . ' ^OT
Birch, 419
hooper, 523
Blechnums, 396
demised by, 16
Fritillaria, 214
Birds, fleas of, 450
swift, 534, 553
Bknhtim orange apple,
John, Esq., 16
gladiolus, 218
notes of, 553
teal, 526
138, 151
established schools at
hepatica, 216
table showing the dates
of their arrival, 553
thrush, missel, 550
song, 550
Blight, 365
American, 476
Wallington, 17
Nathaniel, Esq., pre-
hyacinths, 212
iris, 218
BIRDS IN MY GARDEN,
tit, blue, 545
greater, 546
Blue clay, exists on the
north of uiy garden, 21
. sent lord of the manor,
16
ixias, 218
jonquils, 213
522:—
cole, 546
mould, 355
Rev. A. H., present rec-
lilv, 2IQ
blackbird, 550
long-tailed, 546
titmice, 545
tor of St Mary's, Bed-
monkshood, 221
blackcap, 547, 553
marsh, 546
Bluebells, 314
dington, 14, 414, 428,
narcissus, 213
bullfinch, 541
titmice, 545
Board of Health at Croy-
435
ranunculus, 216
chaffinch, 543
tree-creeper, 537
dcn, means of, for dis-
William, Esq., 16
snowdrop, 210
chiff-chaff, 548, 553
coot bald-faced S2Q
turtle dove, 531
posing of sewage, 32
proceedings against
Bristowe, Mr., 426
snowflake, spring, 2
creeper, 539
544
3°» 3r
of, 292
tiger-flower, 220
crow, carrion, 540
hooded, 540
pied, 544
Ray's, 545
Bog bean, 330
myrtle, 443
Queen strawberry, 183
Briza maxima, 331
Tritoma uvaria, 221
Tritonia aurra, 221
cuckoo, 536, 553
warbler, garden, 548
Boisduval, Monsieur, 456,
media, 331, 339
tuberose, 221
curlew, 531
grasshopper, 546
463, 483
Broad fern, 40, 371, 380,
tulips, 217
crane, 530
reed, 547
Bombyx cyrthia, 421
395
winter aconite, 215
dabchick, 527
dove, rock, 533
sedge, 546, 553
wood, 548
lucorum, 459
neustria, 484
Broccoli, 113
Chapell's Cream - co-
Bulbous plants, how
stock, 531
water-rail, 528
terrestris, 459
lour, 114
g w, 210
turtle, 531
duck, call, 525
wheatear, 549
whimbrel, 531
Borage, 126
Borago officinalis, 126
Knight's Protecting,
114
plants by, 87
tufted, 526
whinchat, 549
Boston Russet apple,
Snow's White, 114
Bullfinch S4i
smew or Smee, 526
wild, 526
whitethroat, 548
lesser, 548
149
Botanic Gardens, Edin-
sprouting, 114
Brockworth Park pear,
Bullhead; 507
fieldfare, 550
flycatcher, 552
geese, wild, 529
widgeon, 526
woodcock, 530
woodlark, 544
burgh, 259, 260
Society of London, 142,
251, 252, 265, 375
162
Bromelia Ananas. 207
Bromham Hall melon, 196
Burbolts, placed in
Wandle by myself, 50
Burnet 08
goatsucker or nightjar,
534
goldfinch, 542
grebe, 528
greenfinch, 543
woodpecker, 540
green, 539
lesser spotted, 539
wren, 538
golden-crested, 546
Botrychium, 405
lunaria, 381, 405
simplex, 405
Botrytis infestans, 363
Bourne river, account of,
Bronze bead found in
Roman house, 3
Rrooklime, 98
Broom, Mr. 367
Broompark pear, 161
Bursaiia vernalis, 446
Butomus umbellatus,
Buttercups, 339
Butterfly, hawthorn, 4
orchid, 317
hawfinch, 543
wryneck, 539, 553
yellow-hammer, 543
Bower in Fern Glen, 39
Broon Girl gooseberry,
1 80
tortoiseshell, 483
hawk, sparrow, 553
hedge-sparrow, 549
heron, 529
Bird's-nest fern, 398
Bithinia tentaculata, 493
ventricosa, 493
willow, site of, 39
where situated, 42
at entrance to Indoor
Broughtonianum rhodo-
dendron, 441
Brown rnt, 519
Butterwort, 320
Buxus sempervirens, 4'
jackdaw, 540
Bivalve shells found in a
Fernery, 42
Turkey fig, 201
jay, 540
cutting near my garden,
in Valley of Ferns, 43
Brown-tail moth, 484
C.
kestrel. 553
23
Bovverbank, Mr., 24
Bruchus pisi, 467
kingfisher, 536
Black ant, its use, 465
Bowood, Muscat vine, 191
Brugmansia suaveolens,
Cabbage, Battersea, u
land-rail, 528, 553
aphis, 475
Box, 438
238
Cocoa-nut, no
lark, 544
Brunswick fig. 201
Box-tree, 425
Brussels sprouts, in
Collard, no
linnet, common, 542
bulb thermometer, 64
Bracelet, bronze, found
Bryonia dioica, 342
Drumhead, no
magpie, 540
currant, varieties of,
in Irrigation fields, 7.
Bryony, 342
Early York, no
martin, house, 534, 553
177
Bracken, 479
Bryum intermedium, 353
Enfield Market, no
sand, 534, 553
Edgle cherry, 176
scalarifonn vessels of,
Buckland, Mr. Frank,
Little Pixie, no
moorhen, 528
Hamburgh vine, 186
379
5°3- 525
Nonpareil, no
nightingale, 548, 553
Italian poplar, 410
Braddick's Nonpareil ap-
Buck'and's Sweetwater
red, no
nightjar or goatsucker,
Jamaica pine-apple,
ple, 147, 148
vine, 188
Cabbage, fungus of, 3J
534
208
Bradley, Mr., 183
Buckton, Mr., 475
366
nuthatch, 537
Monnukka vine, 190
Brandling, 448
Budding, propagation of
lettuce, 94
owl, white, 553
Naples b ack-currant,
Brasses, ancient, at St.
plants by, 88, 90
rose, 270
partridge, 531
177
Mary's Church, 13
Budding-knife, 60
tribe, 1 10
peewit, 531
nut, 438
Brassica Carlo Rapse,
Beurre d'Amanlis pear,
Cacti, growth of, 257
pheasant, 531
Saplar, 411
112
161
speciosissimus, ?O2
pjgeon, wood, 532
nnce strawberry, 182
Napus, var. oleifera, 94
Bosc, 161
Cadbaits, fossil, 4gT
p pit, meadow, 544
vine, 1 86
oleracea, 112, 113
Clairgeau pear, 158
Caddis-worms, 480
plover, golden, 531
rat, 519
Imilata gemmifera.
de Capiaumont pear,
Caladium argyriies, 264
quail, 531
slug, 491
in
158
Caladiums, 264
1XDEX.
633
anthe vestita orchid, Carew family, arms of, 9 Cedrus atlantica, 428 Chapell's Cream-colour Chrysanthemums, 231
at Beddington, 8 Deodara, 428, 42^
broccoli, 114 ; propagated by division,
oaolaria, 236
one of them beheaded Libani, 428, 429
Chapelry of Wallington 87
endar for the year
in Henry VIll.V.
Celery, 99
constituted by order in propagation of, 213
1871, 597-628
reign, 9
I very s Nonsuch, 100 Council, 16, 17 Chrysoma perla, 470
endula officinalis, 126
rank the historian Gi- Celery fly, 489 Char bred in the Wan die Chrysosplenium oppositi-
lha palustris 335
ycanthus floridus, 442
-ducks, 525
raldus among them, 9
will of one of the, 14
Carew, Sir Francis, rebuilt
Celeraic, 100 by myself, 503
Celme r orestier ro^e, 275 Charadrius pluvialis, 531
Cellini Pippin apple, 138, Charles Lawson rose, 270
folium, 339
Church, St. Mary's, Bed-
dington, II, 12, 13, 14,
a p-ilustris, 330
Manor-house, 8
150 Lefebvre rose, 271
15
. '. . •^
itriche, 339
Carex pendula, 333
Cells of mistletoe and
II, coins of, found at
Holy Trinity, Walling-
11 na vulgaris, 444
Carlotta PapudorF camel-
apple, 91
Wallington, 18
ton, 16
lassia esculenta, 315
lia, 250
of pear-tree joined to Chasemore v. Richards,
Cibotium, 389
ibrensis, sometimes Carnations, 227
led Gir.ildus, one of: propagation of, 228
the quince, 90 judgment of the House
of ripe strawberries, 184 of Lords on, 30
Cichorium Endivia, 96
cri>pa, 96
: Carews, 9 1 Carolina superba straw-
Celtic remains at Bedding Chasselas Musque vine,
latifolia, 96
ndenon Noviomagus,5 berry, 183
ton, i 188
Intybus, 96
Au.^.i>ta, 250 Carpinus betulus, 424
nellia, alba plena, 250 Carrion crow, 540
at Croydon, 2
at Haling Park, 2
Cha«selas of Fontaine-
bleau vine, 189
Cidaria, flint cast of, 20
Cider apples, 138
j-ch - Duchesse Au- j Carrot, Altringham, 121
flint instruments, i
Chaumontel pear, 159
list, and specific gravity
^usta, 250 i fly, 490
scrapers, 2
Cheilanthes, 392
of, 133
ealii, 250 French Horn, 121
worked stone, 2
argentea, 392
manufacture of, 153
arlotta Papudoff, 250 Long Surrey, 121
Census of 1871, population
elegans, 392
Cineraria, 254
aryophylloides, 250 Carrots, 120
omte de Gomer, 250 Carshalton, coins found at,
of Beddington and Wal-
lington, according to, i
lanuginosa, 393
lendigera, 392
Cinerary urns, Anglo-
Saxon, 7
ountess of Orkney, 250 18
>uchesse de Berri, 250 Park, 198
Centaurea cyamus, pro-
pqgated by seed, 83
spectabilis, 392
Cheiranthus alpinus, 324
found on Irrigation
grounds, 7
mbriata, 249, 250
shells found in Paper
moschata, 245
cheiri, 226
Circumvallation, propaga-
eneral Drouot, 250
Lane at, 26
Centifoha rosea, 271
Chelonia caja, 487
tion of plants by, 85
iponica, 240
strata of, 25 -_ ^ i Chenedolle rose, 270
Cissus discolor, 284
avinia Maggi, 250 Carter's variety of beet,
DEN S Chervil, 121, 132
Citron des Carmes pear,
lathotiana, 250
alba, 250
rincess Frederick Wil-
iam, 250
uecn of the Beauties,
250
:ticulata flore-pleno,
250
iccoi nova, 250
IC2
Carum carui, 126
Caryophylloides camellia,
250
Cast, flint, of Cidaria,
20
of Holaster pillula, 23
of Diadema. in flint,
25
Blaniulus guttatus, 456
Julus Lonoinensis, 456
luminous, 456
thirty-foot, 456
Central brook in my gar-
den, analysis of water of,
3°
Centre-bits, 63
CHERRIES : —
Adam's Crown, 176
Bigarreau Duke, 176
Black Eagle, 176
Early Purple Gean, 176
Kentish, 177
Late Duke, 176
May Duke, 176
156
Citrus aurantium, 199
Simonum, 200
Cladophora crispata, 347
glomerata, 347
Cladosporium dendriti-
cum, 367
Clark, Dr., his process de-
scribed, 22, 28
toryii, 250
altevaredo, 250
Castanea vesca, 198
Castor-oil plant, 246
Cephalotusfollicularis,2S9! j"°rel!o, i7&
Cerasus laurocerasus, 436 October, 177
Claviceps purpurea, 360
Clay, blue, onthenorthof
lellias, 249 Catalpa, 4.26 lusitanica, 436 ; Cherries, cooking, 176
my garden, 21
»ils used for, 49
Caterham waterworks, 99 \ Ceratodon purpureus, 353 dessert, 176
Claygate Pearmain apple,
iomi!e, 130
Caterpillars, various, 482 Cereus, creeping, 357
for Queen Elizabeth,
149
ipagnol, ihort-tailed,
3
upanulagarganica, 326
Catherine Guillot rose, 275 grandiflorus, 257
Catillac pear, 155 midnight, 257
Cats, fleas of, 450 speciosissmus, 257
story of, 10
Cherry-tree, wild, 434
Cherry-trees, worked on
Cleft grafting, 90
Clematis, hybrid, 283
Jackmanni, 282
irsuta, 326
ill-treat the mice, 515 Certhia familiaris, 539
Mahebeh, 91
lanuginosa, 282
ledium, 248
indispensable in a gar- Ceterach, 43, 372
growth of, i; 6
sweet-scented, 282
ersicifolia, 325
den, 514
officinarum, 377, 398
new varieties, how ob-
vitalba, 282
coronata alba, 325
kill the moorhens, trout, Cetonia aurata, 466
tained, 176
Clerodendrum Balfourii,
yramidalis, 325
and goldfish, 514 Chserophyllum sativum,
propagition of, 176
289
•tundi folia, 325
nearly exterminated the 121
Chestnut, Dovvnton, 198
splendens, 289
>eculum, 326
water vo'e, 514 Chaffinch, 543
Devonshire Prolific. 198
CHanthus Dampieri, 287
npanulas, 325
steal the trout, 514 Chalk, account of its for- Horse, 412 Climate and Spring
nphor-tree, 253
suffer from the brown mation, 22 Spanish, 434 Fro-ts, 556
nptosorus rhizophyl-
rats, 514
comes again to the sur- Chestnut wood, how used,
n> 399
tracks of, considered to
face at Hatfield, 21 198 CLIMBERS, 270 : —
Qpvlodiseus spiralis,
be those of a uniped,
at South Mimms, 21 Chestnuts, 198
Abutilon vexillarium,
>
516
at s 3uth part of gar- Chickweed, 343
290
la^y creeper, 285
Cattell's beet, 102
den, 21 Chicory, 96
^Eschynanthus, 286
idles used for warming
Cattleya Forbesii orchid,
dips under my garden, Chiff-chaff, 548, 553
Allamanda Henderso-
iss-houses, 82
299
21 Chilian Beet, 243
nii, 291
ma indica, 220
labiata orchid, 298
fissures in, account of, Chilis, 132
Aristolochia gigas, 286
mas, 220
Mossi«E orchid, 298
21 i used for making Cay-
canary creeper, 285
ion Hall Muscat vine,
Skinneri orchid, 298
fossil wood sometimes enne pepper, 132
Cissus discolor, 284
Cattelyas, orchids, varie-
found in it, 24 China rose, common, 275
clematis, varieties of,
terbury bells, 248
ties of, 298
marine origin of, shown, \ roses, varieties of, 275
282
>e gooseberry, 204
Cauliflower, Early London
23 Chinese Arbor-Vi x, 434
clerodendrums,varieties
>e jasmine, 265
"3
pits of Sutton described, chrysanthemums, 231
of, 289
>rimulgus europseus,
I
Veitch s Late, 113
Walcheren, 113
21 gardens of the, 592
upper layer of, with ', orchid, varieties of, 296
Clianthus Dampieri, 287
climbii g begonia, 262
isicum annuum, 132
Cauliflowers, 113
flints, 21 ! yam, 122
loses, 291
isicums, 132
fungus of, 566
used for manuring Chisel, 63
Devonien-is rose, 277
ausius, Roman coin of,
Cave near Beddington plants, 51 ! Chives, 118
Cobcea scandens varie-
md at Beddington, 4
Church, fabulous tales waters, purity of, 29 Chopper, 59
gata, 284
away seed, 126
about, 19 Chama^rops excelsa, 427 Christmas rose, 225
Combretum purpurenm,
fbon as carbonic acid, • Cedar, curious prooerties Champignon, 359 Chrysanthemum indicum
288
liount of over one acre
of its wood, 429
Champion of England 231
convolvulus, varieties
i land, 49
red, 425
pea, 103
leucanthemum, 337
of, 281
u-bonic acid, water
jarged with, 22
Cedars, 428
dimensions of one at
Chancery, Bills in, filed Pompone, 2^2
against the Croydon i segetum, 337
creeping fig, 285
Dipladenia amabilis.
j-dinal apple, 449
tdoons, 116
Beddington, 429
of Lebanon, 428
Board of Health, 31 sinense, 231 291
Chapel, Gothic, remains ' Chrysanthemum-flowered pi >riosa, 286
,'duelis elegans, ^42 Cedo nulli a/alca, 251
of, 17 ' aster, 244 Glycine sinensis, 281
634
Climbers — continued.
honeysuckle, varieties
of, 283
hop, 291
Hoyas, varieties of, 288
Ipomreas, varieties of,
281
ivy, varieties of, 280
jasmine, varieties of.
283 .
Lapage'ia rosea, 291
Lithospermum scan-
dens, 282
Mandevilla suaveolens,
289
passiflo'-as, varieties of,
287
Stephanotis' floribunda,
289
Stigmaphyllon ciliatum,
2QO
Tacsonia Van Volximi,
288
Bucanni, 288
thunber^ias, varieties
of, 290
Traveller's Joy, 282
tropaeolums, varieties
of, 285
variegated-leaved vine,
290
Virginian creeper, 281
yam, 290
Clipping of trees. 425
practised by the Ro-
mans, 577
Closterium Leibleinii, 349
Cloth of gold rose, 275
Cloudberry, 205, 329, 444
northern, 41
Norway, 205
Clovis rose, 271
Club mosses, 406
Cluster Damson plum, 170
Coboea scandens varie-
gata, 284
Cobbold, Dr., 451
Cocci, 478
Coccinellidae, 470
Cocconema lanceoktum,
35°
Coccothraustes Chloris,
543 .
vulgaris, 543
Coccus adonidum, 478
Bromeliae, 478
hesperidum, 478
vitis, 478
Cochineal, 478
opuntia, 2=>8
Cochlearia Armoracea, 134
Cockchafer, 465
Cockle Pippin apple, 149
Cockroach, 471
Cock's-foot grass, 333
Co^ox-nut cabbage, no
Codlin moth, 485
Caelogyne cristata orchid,
3°J
Coe's Golden Drop apple,
146
plum, 169
Coffee plant, 252
Coins found at Bedding-
ton. 3, 4, 7, 17
at Carshalton, 13
at Wallington, 13
Roman, description of,
Saxon, description of,
3, 7
Col ax dispar, 463
Colchicum autumnale, 314
Cold frames, site of, 44
Cole tit, 546
! Coccus, 238
Coleosporium pingue, 365
Coleoptera, 465
Coliard cabbage, no
Collodion sometimes used
j for cuttings of plants, 87
Colneriver,how formed,a8
Columba aenas, 531
Liria, 533
Turtur, 531
Columbine, 229
Combretum purpureum,
288
Commodus, Roman coin
found at Beddington, 4
Common bat, 517
china rose, 275
convolvulus, 342
hammer, 63
mouse, 519
reed, 332
white jasmine, 284
Companion gooseberry,
179
Compass, 62
Comte de Gorner camellia,
250
de Paris strawberry, 183
Comtesse de Murenais
rose, 278
Concessum rhododen-
dron, 441
Conclusion, 628
Cones of cedar of Le-
banon. 429
of Picea nobilis, 428
Conferva rivularis, 346
Confervae, conjugation of,
349.
Coniferous plants, 427
wood on flint, 24
Conservatories, when first
known, 579
Constantius, Roimn coin
of, found at Bedding-
ton, 4
Convallaria majalis, 226
Convolvulus, 281
arvensis, 342
common, or Bindweed,
342
IpomeoeaHorsfaUise,28i
Learii, 281
rubro caerulea, 281
major, varieties of, 281
minor, 245
sepium, var. roseus, 281
wild, rose-coloured, 281
Corvus cornix. 540
Cook, Captain, 109, 404
Cook, Mr. 595
Cooke's Handbook of
British Fungi, 367
Cooking apples, list of,
M9 .
varieties of, 137
Cooking cherri\s, 176
Coot, bald-raced, 529
Copper beech, 418
Coprinus atramentarius,
3.56
micaceus, 356
Corals contribute to the
fornmtion of chalk 22
Corax falcatus. a kind of
shark, tooth of, 23
Corbet, Thomas, Manor
of Beddington granted
to, 8
Cordon oblique, 175
Coreop-is tinctoria, 241
Coriander-reed, 176
Coriandrum sativum, 126
Cork tree, 414
Corn blue-bottle, propa-
gated by seed, 83
; Corn-salad, 98
Crocuses, 211
Currants, red, varieties
Cornish Gillitlower apple.
Crombie, Kev. J. M., 353
I77
*45
Croquet ground, 42, 44
white, varieties of, 13
Corvus corone. 540
form of, 37
Currant aphis, 476
frugilegus, 541
plan of, 44
moth, 179
monedula, 540
Cross-cut saw, 59
red flowering, 439
C jrylus arborescens, 197
Croton, 263
black, varieties o'". it
used f r working fil-
variegatum angustifoli- black Naples, 177
berts, on, 91
um, 263
Lee's Black, 177
Avellana, 197
Crow, carrion, 540
red Dutch, 178
purpurea, 438
Cos lettuce, 94
C jsford nut, 197
hooded, 540
Crowberry, 444
Crown Bob gooseberry,
white Dutch, 178
Cur ant-trees grown
pyramids, 178
Cossus ligniperda, 483
1 80 growth of," 177
Coste, Professor, 497
Crown Imperial, 214
propagation of, 177
Coturnix vulgaris, 531
Croydon, analysis of sew-
pruning of, 178
Cotyledon umbilicus, 313
Cottager's kale, 113
age of, 33
another branch of the
Cur'Uca atricapilla, 547
cinerea, 548
Coitus gobio, 507
Wandle rises at, 26
sylviella, 548
Couch grass, 333, 343
Board of Health, pro-
Curtis, Mr., 456, 459, 46
Council held by Henry
ceedings against, 30
470, 474. 475, 486
VIII. at Beddington
manner of disposing of
Cuscuta Epithymum, 3
Manor House, 9
sewage, 32
reflexa, 255
Count OrlofT apple, 149
Board of Works, En-
curious growth of,
Countess of Flanders
gineer to, 2
Custard apple, 200
azalea, 251
Celtic remains found
vegetal marrow, 119
of Orkney camellia, 250
at, 2
Cut-leaf birch-tree, 420
Coupe d'Hebe rose, 270
Court of Wick Pippin
drift, bed of, 20
new well at, analysis of
Cuttings of plants shad
from the sun, 87
apple, 146
water of, 30
propagation of plan
Courtnay, Eustache de,
old well at, analysis of
by, 86
lands at Wallington
water of, 30
Cuttle-fish, allies of, foui
granted to, 16
pestilence usually at,
in thebelemnitella, 24
Court pendu apple, 142
after the Bourne has
Cuvier, 450
Plat apple, 146
flowed, 35
Cyatheas, 388
Cowslip, 224
sewage, where if. must
arborea, 388
American, 328
ultimately be carried
dealbata, 388
Cox's Orange Pippin
to, 33
medullaris, 385, 388
apple, 146-148
Crab, American, 152
CRUSTACEA IN MY GAR-
princeps, 389
Sch^ideri, 389
scarlet, 152
kEiv, 449 .
Czar violet, 222
Siberian, 152
fungus of, 367
crayfish, 449
Cyclops, 449 _
Cycads, 265
Cyclamens, 256
Cracks in the chalk, ac-
count Off 21
Crambe maritima, 1 14
qua ricorms, 450
Daphne Pulex, 450
fresh-water shrimp, 449
Cyclas cornea, 493
Cyclops, 449
quadricornis, 450
Cranberries, growth of, 204
plantation, where ar-
woodlouse, 449
Cry, garden, 555
Cydonia japonica, 439
Cygnus ferns, 523
ranged, 41
Cryptogramma crispa, 392
^ olor, 523
Cranberry, 329
Cryptogrammic plants,
Cymelopleura solea, 35C
Americ m, 204, 444
propagation of, 91
Cynara cardunculus, iK
English, 204, 444
Cry ptomeria japonica, 434
Scolymus, 1 16
Crane, 530
Crane-flies, or Daddy
Crystal waterfall, 27
analysis of water of, 30
Cypress, 433
deciduous, 433
Long-legs, 488
Crasanne pear, 159
its site, 45
Crystals in onions, 117
Cypripedium barbatu
orchid, 299
Crataegus oxyacantha.423
Cuckoo, 536, 553
calceolus orchid, 294
oxyacantha praecox, 423
Cuculis canorus, 536
caudatum orchid, 299
Crayfish, 449
Cucumber house, con-
insigne orchid, 299
Creon, Maurice de, held
lands at Wallington, 16
struction of, 77
plants propagated by
spectabile orchid, 294
vill >sum orchid, 297
Cress, American, 94
cuttings, 86
Cypripediums, orchid
Australian, 94
setting flowers of, 101
va> ieties of, 299
curled, 94
Cucumbers, too
Cypselus apus, 534
Cressingham, Mr., 2, 5
Bollison's Telegraph,
Cyrtomium falcatum, y
Creeper, 539
100
Cysticerci, 452
Creeping cereus, 257
Pearson's Long Gun,
Cystopteris, 41, 377, 394
fig, 285
101
alpma, 394
ranunculus, 344
Sion House, 101
bulbifera, 43, 373, 38
willow, 318
Telegraph, 101
3^4
Crex praten-is, 528
Cucumis Melo, 195
I Mckeana, 377
Crickt-t, 472
sativa, 100
fragilis, 367, 371, 37
mole, 471
Cucurbita ovifera, nq
394
Crimson Queen straw-
Pepo, 119
montana, 372, 377, 39
berry, 183
Cudweed, lion's-paw, 327 j regia, 377
Criocer s asparagi, 469
Culinary roots, 120
Cystopteris, propagatio
Crithmum maritimum, 127 ; plums, 169
of, 88
C. Koach Smith, Mr. ,170 ! Cunliffe, Mr., of Couls-
Cystopus candidus. 366
Crocus luteus, 314
don, 203
Cytisus laburnum, 422
of Switzerland, 44
Cupressus funebris, 433
alpinum, 422
reticulatus, 314
Lawsoniana, 433
sativus, 314
sempervirens, 433
D.
vernus, 211
Curates' vineries, 75
versicolor, 211 Curled cress, 94 Dabchick, 5*27
wild, of Swit7erland. endive. q6 1 >acc. 507
where grown. 44 Curlew, 531 P.-irrymyce* stillatux, tf
INDEX
635
hylis glomerata 333 i Di \TOMES, 349 : — 1 Drift bed, account of, with
Eel pouts or burbolts,
placed in the \Vandle
: Entozoa — continued.
by myself, 502
hjdatids, 451
llodil, hoop petticoat, : C^5c°onema lanceola- . ri)t'!I1'iil"t)1ia. 25Q. 329
sharp-nosed species, 506
tapeworms, 451
1 mm ->-,-, Drumhead cabbage, no
Eels caught in wire
fecundity of, 451
Monsieur, 4
> ,
•opagation of, 230
sies 226, 339
i.isk roses, varieties
270
nson, Rochester Clus-
, 170
i jelion leaves, 98
JiielO'Rourke pea, 103
J)hne indica, 252
Cymelopleurasolea, 350
Diatonic vulgare, 351
Epithemia turgida, 350
Dry-rot, 368
baskets, 504
how tamed, 505
receipt for cooking
them, 504
their favourite spots, 506
two migrations of, in the
Wandle, 503
Eel trap, description of,
504
general view, front, and
and longitudinal sec-
threadworm, 452
Trichinia spiralis, 451
unarmed or beef tape-
worm, 451
Epacris. 251
Epeira diadema, 455
Epidendrum orchid, 300
Epilobium hirsutum, 340
Epimedium rubrum, 321
Epimedhims, varieties of,
i 251
Duchesse d'Angouleme
pear, 1-9
de Berri camellia, 250
Duck, call, 525
smew or Smee, 526
! tufted, 526
]' wild, 526
! Duckweed, ivy-leaved,
Mericlion c.rculare, 351
Pinnulana major, 3,0
IPleurosigma attenua-
tum, 350
Surinella biscriata, 350
Dibber, 61
c/e mm, 439
,ihnia 1'ulex, 450
Dicksonia antarctica, 389,
339 tion of, 505
lesser, 339 | where situated, 44
321
Epine d'Hiver pear, 162
icy, lord of Chiche, Barometz, or Tartarian
Duckweeds, 339 i Edible passion-flower, 203
tpiphyllum truncatum,
Id lands at Bedding- Lamb, 390
|i, 8 Cibotium, 389
Ilingtonia californica, 1 fibrosa, ^QO
Duke of Bedford, 416 Edward I., coins of, found i -r^50! • -j
Constantine apple, 149 at Beddington, 17 Epithenua turgida, 350
of Devonshire apple, ! Edward IV., penny of, ^quisetum arvense, 408
ie palm, 265
lira arborea, 238
squarrosa, 389
Dicksonias, 389
Didymochlaena lunulata,
148 ; found in a garden at
of Edinburgh rose, 271 Car halton, 18
Dumelow's beedling , Egg plant, 124
syivaiicum, 400
Ergot of rye, how pro-
duced, 360
propagation of, 238
ramomum, 338
399 apple, 138 Eglantine, 440
Dielytra spectabilis, 217 Dundas strawberry, 183 ! Egyptians, gardens of the
herbacca, 317, 444
licus carota, 120
.-allia alpina, 394
illata. 394
;nariensis, 393
ssccta, 394
Digitalis purpurea, 247
propagated by seed, 83
Diocese of Winchester,
Beddington living in it,
14
Dundee Rambler rose, 278 ancient and modern, 562
Dung beetle, 466 Elateridae, 468
Durandeau pear, 161 Elderberries, black, 206
Dutch, gardens of the, 584 scarlet, 206
hoe, 58 white, 206
Tetralix, 444
Erigeron Roylei, 328
speciosus, 328
Erinaceus europaeus, 516
Erisaphe or Oidium, 186
,indleyi, 394 ! Dionsea muscipula, 258
ovse Zelandisc, 385, Dipladenia amabilis, 291
593 Diptera, 487
medlar, 154
Duvesne apple, 142
Dwarf Negro bean, 107
Elderberry, growth of, 206 :*- 3ne>,?°4.. ,
wine, 206 ; p.s,orMartn 365 _
Eleanor strawberry, 183 i ETthromum Dens cams,
pntaphylla, 394
.-xidata, 393
nuifolia, 394
allias, 393
Dipterix odorata, 332
Diseases of gooseberries,
179
of melons, 196
Prolific walnut, 198
Dymock, Sir Edward,
held lands at Wa'lington,
16
Electricity or magnetism, • !I^ n • ,•/•
influence of, on plants E.callonia cahfprmca, 229
Estate of Beddington, 15
EHot, Sir Thomas, on the Elhfier' JarS°nelle Pear-
y,_Sir H., 494
th's head moth, 487
of strawberries, 183
of vines, 186, 192
Dytiscus marginalis, 471
site of Noviomagus ? i?1 u • • f
Eliza Boelle rosef 271 Euchans amazomca, 264
Candolle, Monsieur,
i
iduous cypress, 433
!r, formerly in Bed-
?.gton Park, 14
: Eys, family of, at
ddington, 8
phiniurn Belladonna,
Division, propagation of
plants by, 87
Dixon's early pea, 103
lettuce, 95
Dock, water, 344
Dodder, 345
lesser, 345
Dodecatheon Meadia, 323
E.
Earlswood, Idiot Asylum
at, 25
Early Alfred peach, 173
Beatrice peach, 172
Elizabeth, Queen, stayed
at Beddington, 9
Elm-tree, amount of pot-
ash in ashes of, 50
Elm-trees, propagated by
suckers, 85
English, 410
Scotch, 410
Eugenia ugm, 440
growth of, 204
Euonymuseuropieus, 426
Eustachedi Courtnay had
lands at Wallington, 16
Evening primrose, 245
Evergreen oaks, 414
Everlasting pea, 233
!BQ
irmosum, 229
•drobium nobile or-
Dogberry, 444 ; Dutch honeysuckle, 283
Dogs at the Garden, cha- 1 harvest apple, 149
racteristic features of, Julien apple, 149
weeping, 410
Elodia canadensis, 341
Elruge nectarin-, 175
Everlastings, 242
Exotic ferns, 372
fernery, how arranged,
thid. 296
•ierardii orchid, 296
Simark, gardens of, 595
iny, Mr., 450
pudium gyrans, 265
Imids, 349
512
fleas of, 450
tapeworm of, 452
Dog-tooth violet, 215
Domesday Book cited, i,
7, n. 16
Juneating apple, 142
Kaisha apricot, 172
London cauliflower, 113
Louise peach, 172
Mirabelle plum, 168
Nonpareil apple, 147
Elton strawberry, 183
Emberiza citrinella, 543
EmperorAlexandra apple,
150
Empetrum nigrum, 444
Empress Eugenie apple,
out-door, described, 43
Extractor of ferns, 61
Extranei azalea, 251
Eyes, propagation of
plants by, 87
tosteriuin Leibleinii,
Doodia aspera, 384, 397
Purple Gean cherry, 176
142
49
caudatn, 397
Red Margaret apple, 144 strawberry, 183
F.
sert apples, list of, 144
Dormouse, 522
Strawberry apple, 144
Encriniies, stems of,found
—149
Doronicum caucasicum,
Sulphur gooseberry, 180
attached to the flints of Faba vulgaris, 106
varieties of, 137
226
Violet fig, 201
my Garden, 24
Fagus sylvatica, 419
terries, 176
Dorothee Royale Nou- York cabbage, no
Endive, 06
sylvatica purpurea, 418
lars, 156
velle pear, 161 : Earth-snake millipede,456 Enfield Market cabbage,
Fairy rose, 275
urns, 168
Double blossomed peach, Earth-worm, 447
1 10
Falco nisus, 553
itzia gracilis, 439
4^6 Earwig, 472
England, gardens of, from
Falstaff, rtd raspberry,
il's Coach-horse, 470
1 ouglas, Mr., 229 ! Easter Beurre pear, 160
the earliest times, 588
184
'oniensis rose, 277
Dove or Holy Ghost or- Easton. Mr. Edward, 34
English cranberry, 204
Fan-shaped peach-tree,
Denshire Prolific chest-
chid, 302
Echeveriagrandiflora, 313
ferns, 42
175 „
ut, 198
rock, 5.3
metallica, 239, 313
laburnums, 422
Farr, Dr., i
uarrenden apple, 144,
stock, 531
navicularis, 313
Entozoa, dangt rs of, 452
Farre, Dr A. 447
'berries, growth of.
turtle, 531
Downton chestnut. 108
sanguinea, 313
secunda, 239, 313
beef measles, how pro-
duced, 451
Feather moss, 353
Feathered hyacinths, 317
Pippin apple, 153
Echeverias, 239, 313
of animals, 451
Felicite Perpetuelle rose,
.•-worm, 447 Doyenne de Cornice pear,
propagated from leaves,
of man, 451
278
iema, 24 I^Q
86
of vegetation, 451
Feiinel, 132
nond, glazier's, 63
d'Ete pear, 156
Echini, found on the
pork measles, 452
Fergus, Dr. , 205
um, 170 Dr. Hogg, 183*
downs south of mv
Fern, amount of potash in
nthus, 248 strawberry, 183
garden, 23 ENTOZOA IN MY GAK-
ashes of, 50
vrbatus, propagated by : Draba beotica, 328
Echinocactus tubiflorus, DEN» 451 '•—
Cave, 372, 373
eed, 83 , Dragon-flies, 479
inensis, 243, 322 Draparnaldia glomerata,
1257 , armed tapeworm, 452
Echinococcus, orHydatid cysticerci, 452
extractor, 61
Glade, desoiption of, 38
Hedwigii, 243 348 tape-worm, 452 echinncoccus or Hydn it- i:-e, 371
igrans. 322 Dreissena polymorpha, F.clatante a/alea, 25? . tid tapeworm, 452 varieties of ferns
umarius. 227 . 493 Edwin Morren rose, 271 Fiiaria, 451 e;; "\\ing in it, 371
636
INDEX.
Fern Glen, description of, Ferns — continued.
Ferns — continued. Ferns — continued. Ferns — continued.
39
Asplenium Ceterach,
Davallia alpina, 394
Lomaria Patersoni, 396 Polypodium lineatui
its site, 371
398
bullata, 394 spicant, 396 401
various ferns growing
dispersum, 398 canariensis, 393 Lomarias, 396 lonceum, 401
in it, 371
falcatum, 398
dissecta, 394
Lygodium, 404 Ivcooodioides. 400
Fern-trowel, 60
Ferneries, My, how con-
Filix-foemiiia, 397
flabellatum, 398
Lindleyi, 394
Novas Zelandias, 385,
palmatum, 404
scandens, 404
musaefolium, 401
persicaefolium, 401
structed, 38, 39, 43,
flabellifollium, 397 393 volubile, 404
Phcgopteris, 178, m
369—373
fontanum, 376, 397 pentaphylla, 394 Maidenhair, 374 piloselloides, 401
situation for, 370
formosum, 398 pyxidata, 393 Male, 372, 399 plumula, 400
Fernery, Exotic, ferns
fragrans, 397 tenuifolia, 393, 394
Marattia laxa, 405 refractum, 401
growing there, 373
gennanicum, 372,
Davallias, 393
Marsh, 371, 380
Reinwardtii, 401
how arranged, 373
376. 397
D.cksonia antarctica,
Meniscium, 402
repens, 401
Indoor, 386
goldianum, var. pic-
380, 300
simplex, 402 Rbbertianum, ^78.*
atmosphere required,
tum, 385 Barometz, 390 Moon-wort, 381 squamatum, 401
387
laceratum, 397 fibrosa, 390 Mountain, 371, 380 squarrosum, 400
heating of, 73, 74
its construction, 72
lanceolatum, 376, 397 ; squarrosa, 389
macilentum, 398 Didymochlsena lunu-
Nephrodium, 399 stigmaticum, 401
aemulum, 399 subauriculatum, 401
plants grown in it, 73
macrophyllum, 398 lata, 399
cristatum, 399 verrucosum, 400
Outdoor, described, 43
marinum, ^73, 376.397 j Doodia aspera, 384, 397
dilatatum, 399 vulgare, 371, 378
Ferns, cultivation of, 369
nidus, var. austraUs-
caudata, 397
Filix-mas, 399 vulearis, 400
fungus of, 367
ium, 398
Gleichenia flabe!lata, molle, 386, 400 Polypody, 378
grown in baskets, 386
nitiJum, 397
388 Oreopteris (monta- i limestone, 371
kind of earth used for
praemorsum, 397
microphylla, 388 num', 399 Polystichumaculeatun
their growth, 386, 405
rhizophorum, 398
speluncse, 388
P^cns, 399 379, 399
propagation of, 88, 406
Ruta-muraria, 371,
Gleichenias, 388
sanctum, 400 angulare, 779
treatment for, 370, 405
372> 376. 397
Gold, 402
Sieboldii, 399
proliferum, 379
British, 42, 375
s.ptentrionale, 371,
Goniophlebium squa-
spinulosurn, ^99
Lonchitis, 379
Exotic, 372
372. 376> 397
matum, 401
. Thelypteris, 399 Polystichums, 371, T.T.
Filmy, 371, 390
serra, 398
subauriculatum, 401
Nephrodiums, 380 — 383
379
Forest of, 43, 373
Tricho.nanes, 37 1,376,
Gymnogrammae, 402
Norfolk, 380
Pteris, 392
Flowering 404
397
calomelamos, 402
North American, 42,
aquilma, 379, 393
North American, 42
vinde, 371, 376, 397
chrysophylla, 402
371, 372
argyrea, 386, 393
Valley of, its site, 372
viviparum, 397
Hart's-tongue, 376
Noihochlaena, 385, 401
cretica, 392
Wall, where grown, 43
Aspleniums, 397
Hay-scented, 399
Marantae, 385
incisa, 393
Water, where grown, 43
Athyrium, 385
Ho'ly, 371, 379, 399
nivea, 401
longifolia, 393
FERNS : —
Filix-foemina, 381
flexile, 371
Hymtnophyllum asple-
nioides, 390
Oak, 371, 378, 400
Oleandraarticulata, 400
palmata, 393
quadriaunta. 307
Acrostichum, 402
Beech, 371, 378. 400
ciliatum, 390
Onoclea sensibilis, 389 rotundifolia, 383"
crinitum, 402
Bird's-nest, 398
crispatum, 390
Onychium japonici.m, sagittifolia, ^cn
quercifolium, 403
Blechnum boreale, 372
demissum, 371, 385,
385. 392
scaberula, 383, 39$
Aciiniopteris radiata,
brasiliense, 396
39°
sensibile, 385
serrulata, 383, 393
398
corcovadense, 396
flexuosum, 390
Ophioglossiacese, 405
tremula, 386, 393
Adder's tongue, 381
nitidum, var. contrac-
javanicum. 390
Ophio^lossum vulga-
tricolor, 393
Adiantum, 385, 394
tum, 396
Tunbridgense, 375,
tum, 381, 405
umbrosa, 393
Capillus-Veneris, 373,
orient ale, 396
39°
Osmunda, 403
vespertilionis, 386, 35
385, 394
occidentale, 396
Wilsoni, 375, 391
cinnamomea, 382, 403
Royal fern, 371
concinnum, 394
Spicant, 378
Hypolepis, 392
Claytoniana, 403
Scale fern, 398
cultratum, 394
Blechnums, 396
distans, 39?
gracilis, 382
Scolopendrium, 399
cuneatum, 371, 395
Botrychium, 405
repens 386, 392
interrupta, 382, 403
rhizophyllum, 399
curvatum, 395
Lunaria, 381, 405
tenuifolium, 392
regalis, 371, 381, 382,
vulgare, 376
Farleyense, 395
simplex, 405
Irish, 372, 375
4?3
Scolopendriums, 371
Feei, 395
Bracken, 379
bristle, 391
cristata, 381
Silver, 402
formosum, 385, 394
Bree, 400
Killarney, 375
spectabilis, 403
Stag-horn fern, 403
fulvum, 395
British aspleniums, 376
Lady, 371, 381
Pars ey fern, 378, 392
Struthiopteris, 372, 38
intermedium, 394
Broad, 371, 380, 399
Lastraea aemula, 380
Pellea flexuosa, 392
germanica, 384, 389
lucidum, 395
Camptosorus rhizophyl-
cristata, 380
roiundifolia, 39^
pennsylvanica, 384
macrophyllum, 394
lum, 399
curvata, 383
Phymatodes lineatum,
Tartarian lamb, 390
pedatum, 373, 385, 395
Ceterach, 372, 377
dilatata, 380
401
Todea, 403
pentadactylon, 394
officinarum, 377, 398
Filix-mas, 380
lycopodioides, 401
africana, 386, 403
reniforme, 394
Cheilanthes, 392
montana, 380
Platycerium aethiopi-
barbara, 403
tenerum, 395
arg- ntea, 392
opaca, 383
cum, 403
Fraseri, 404
tinctum, 395
elegans, 392
patens, 383
alcicome, 386, 403
hymenophylloides,
trapeziforme, 394
lanuginosa, 392
rigida, 380
grande, 403
4°3
Alsophiia, 389
lendigera, 392
Sieboldii, 383
Platyceriums, 403
pel'ucida, 372, 385
australis, 389
spectabilis, 392
Standishii, 383
Platyloma flexuosa, 392
superba, 385, 404
capense, 389
Cibotium Dicksonia,
Thelypteris, 371, 380
rotundifolia, 392
Trichomanes 1 uschna
Anemia fraxinifolia, 404
varia, 383
Polypodiaceae, 371, 378,
thianum, 391
Anemias, 404
Cryptogramma crispa,
Lastraeas, 380, 383
388, 400
pyxidiferjin, 391
Angiopteris erecta, 404
Aspidium aculeatum,
Cyathea arborea, 388
Leptopteris, 403
hymenophylloides,
Polypodium adnascens,
401
radicans, 391
reniforme, 391
£99
dealbata, 388
4°3
alpestre, 378, 400
speciosum, ^7^, 376
coriaceum, 399
medullaris, 385, 388
Lim<. stone, 378
appendiculatum, 400 ; 391
falcatum, 399
princeps, 389
Lindaea cultrata, 394
Biaunii, 383
Tunbndge, 372
Lonchitis, 399
proliferum, 399
Scheideri, 389
Cyatheas, 388
Litobrochia vespertili-
onis, 393
ca'careum, 400
cambricum, 378
Walking leaf, 399
Wilson's filmy, 372
Aspidiums, 399
Cyrtomium falcatum,
Lomaria alpina, 38.^,
capense, 399
Woodsia alpina, 377
Asplenium Adiantum-
399
396
Dryopteris, 378, 400
ilvensis, 377
nigrum, 371, 376, 397
Cystopteris, 377, 394
alpina major, 384
filipes, 401
Woodsias, 377
attenuatum, 398
alpina, 394
attenuata, 396
flexile, 378, 400
Woodwardia orientale
auritum, 398
b ilbifera, 383, 394
Banksii, 396
fortunei, 401
397
austra'asicum, 397
Dickeana, 377
chilensis, 372, 384
Gheisbreghtii, 401
orientalis, 383
Belangeri, 397
fragilis, 371, 377, 394
criniti, 384
Heracleum, 401
radicans, 383^ 396
bulbiferum, 398
montana, 372, 377,
gibba, 396
hexagonopterum,383,
Woodwardias, 383, 386
canariense, 397
394 gigantea, 396
400 396
caudatum, 397
regia, 377 minor, 396 hexaptera, 371 Yorkshire Hard, j£o
INDKX.
637
verfew, 127
Flint cast of Cidaria,
French Horn carrot, 121
Fungi — continued.
Gardens of Various Na-
us Carica, 200
epens, 285
20
of Holaster pillula, 23
Crab apple, 152
Freres Manor, belonged
Puccinia lychnidearum,
366
tions — font inn rJ.
of Camoens at Macao,
Id. Messrs., of Lain-
eth, 82
instruments found, i
Flints, accounts of, where
to the Carews, 9
Fritillaria meleagris, 214
Saprolegnea, 369
Sarcina ventriculi, 368
of the Chinese. 592
:ld mouse, 520
Id fare, 550
I, creeping, 285
;s, Black Brunswick,
200
3rown Turkey, 201
they occur, size, &c. , 21
Flints in my garden have
encrinites attached, 24
found in drift-bed, 20
in upper layer of chalk,
21
Fringilla cuilebs, 543
Frog, 510
Frog-bit, 41, 336
Frogman strawberry, 183
Frost, Great May, of 1867,
557
Sphserotheca pannosa,
Spilocaea, 368
Tarragon fungus, 356
Trametes gibbosa, 356
trufrle, 355, 361
of the Dutch, 584
of the ancient and
modern Egyptians, 562
of England, from the
earliest times, 588
of France, from the
larly Violet, 201
Florence, soils used there
Fiiiit Garden, 137, 209
Tubercularia vulgaris,
earliest times, 586
^igue d'Or, 200
,ee's Perpetual, 201
for certain plants, 49
Florists' pansies, 223
Fruit market wanted, 208
Fuchsia fulgens, 253
356
Uredo filicum, 367
of Germany, 595
of the ancient Greeks,
Vhite I*chia, 200
Vnite Marseilles, 201
Flower, Mr., 23
found umbone of
triphylla fiore coccineo,
253
Xylaria hypoxylon, 356
yeast fungus, 355
572
Hampton Court, 426,
'-trees o1 ten sprout from
roots, 86
Saxon shield, 7
Mr. J. Wickham, r
Fuchsias, 253
Fulica atra. 529
Fungus festival at Here-
Horticultural, 176, 239
rowth of, 200
jue d'Or, 200
;wprt, 336
FJower-beds, how ar-
ranged, 37
Flowering ferns, 404
Fuligula cristata, 526
Fumitory, amount of po-
tash in, 50
ford, 359
Fungus, preventive of, 364
Funteneys or Fontibus,i4
at Florence, 303
of India, 594
of Italy, 580
aria, 451
rush, 336
Funariahygrometrica,35i
of King Ahasuerus, 566
bert Pine strawberry,
Flower Garden, 210—345
Fungi, aphis contributing
of Nineveh, 567
183
Flowers, alpine, 305
towards the growth of,
of North and South
arieties of, 197
of the Alps and Pyre-
363, 365
G.
America, 595
rorked on Corylus ar-
nees, 44
how to tell poisonous
of Palestine, ancient
borescens, 91
Fly, carrot, 490
varieties of, 359, 360
Galanthus nivalis, 210
and modern, 568
berts, 197
celery, 489
plicatus, 211, 314
of Persepolis, 566
es, 62
crane, 488
FUNGI : —
Gale, Dr., on Novioma-
of the Persians, ancient
my ferns, 41, 371, 390
holly, 490
/Ecidium cydoniae, 362
gus, 5
and modern, 570, 572
irjtish, 375
onion, 490
viols, 362
Mr., work on Ease-
of Russia, Denmark,
nbriata camellia, 250
saw, 463
Agaricus disseminatus,
ments, 31
Poland, Switzerland,
>relli, M. le Comman-
turnip, 469
356
Galerites albo-galerus, a
595
leur, 4
Flycatcher, 553
fascicularis, 360
form of echini, 23
of the Pope, 425
-, Scotch, 427
spotted, 552
fertilis, 359
Gall on oak, 464
of Portugal, 595
ilver, 428
Fiy-orchid, 293. 317
spadiceus, 356
I Gall -insects, 464
of Rio Janeiro, for
pruce, 428
Fontinalis antipyretica,
Ascomyces deformans,
Gallinnla chloropus, 528
manufacturing cochi-
-tree, amount of potash
35i
369
Gamasus coleoptorum,453
neal, 595
in ashes of, 50
Foraminifera, ancient, 22
Ascosporium defor-
telarius, 454
of the Romans, 574
•s, 427
recent, 22
mans, 369
'. Game, part of a Roman,
in the Scilly Islands, 595
h, artificial breeding
their decay from beds
blue mould, 355
discovered at Bedding-
formed by Semiramis,
of, 497, 498
of chalk, 22
Botrytis infestans, 363
ton, 4
567
bssil scales of, dis-
Forest of Ferns, its site,
champignon, 359
Gammarus fallax, 449
of the Shakers, 595
covered, 26
43, 373
Cladosporitim dendriti-
' Gansel Bergamot pear,
of Spain, 594
ossilized, *bund in chalk
Forest trees, 409
cum, 367
161
of lurkey, 594
near Croydon, 23
ossilized head of, 23
Forester's Manor, 9
Forfar Pippin apple, 149
Claviceps purpurea, or
ergot of rye, 360
Garden Animals, My, 512
before a summer-house,
Zoological, 417, 517
h the Wandle, 494
Forficula auricularis, 472
Coleosporium pingue,
42
Garlic, 118
'.illed by Croydon sew-
Forget-me-nots, 318, 338
365
cry, 555
propagated by bulbs, 87
age, 495
wood, 318
Coprinusatramentar!us,
; different soils used in
Garrulus glandarius, 540
adder, where situated,
Fork, 57
356
my, 49
Gassiot, J. P., Esq 6,
44
Forster, Mr. Cooper, 375,
micaceus, 356
flower, 210, 345
30*. 365
• va, fungus of, 369
.391
Cystopteris candidu?,
; fruit, 137, 20 j
Gasterosteus semiarma-
rortune, Mr., 436
366
insects, some useful,
tus, 508
-.H, 494 :—
Fossil cadbaits, 481
fragilis, 367
others hurtful, 457
Gatelier or Gacelin, hoi Js
;ullhead, 507
fish found in chalk near
Dacrymyces stillatus,
saxifrage, 43, 305. 307
Beddington, 8
jhar, 503
Croydon, 23
362
described, 43
Gathering of pears, time
ace, 507
fish's head, 23
dry-rot, 368
sedum, 43, 305 307
for, 166
'el, 503
lei pouts, or burbolts,
wood found sometimes
in the chalk, 24
Erysiphe, 364
pisi, 365
described. 43
sempervivum, 43, 305,
Gauge, rain, 65
Gault, a thin layer of clay,
502
Fossils found in drift-bed
giant puff-ball, 361
3°7
where situated, 25
old fish, 509
ray ling, 502-
running from Croydon,
20
Helminthosporium py-
rorum, 366
shears, 59
snails, 491
Gazania, 239
Gee, Richard, of Orping-
unperns, 506
Fountain, John, Dean of
Lychnis, 366
spider, 455
ton, took name of Carew,
ilmon, 503
York, ii
Lycogala epidendrum,
JO * '
tiger moth, 487
ii
ilmon-trout, 503
licklebacks, 50,8
Foxgloves, 44, 247
propagated by seed, 83
356
morel, 355, 360
tools used at mv garden,
56
Geese, wild, 529
General de Marmora vine,
;nch, 509
•out, 494
Fox whelp apple, 153 .
Frames and glass-houses,
mushroom 355, 357
Myxogastres, 356
^egetals, 92
vi ilet. 222
TQO
Drouot camellia, 250
Chouse, 49^
67
Oi'dium fructigenum,
site of, 44
Miloradowitsch rose,
Mcry, My, 494
Frames, construction of,
367
warbler, 548
271
ruires in the chalk, 21
67
leucoconium, 365
"Garden of Eden," ac-
Todleben pear, 159
'<-Lucy, John, lands at
how heated, 68, 78
Tuckeri, 364
count of keeping back
General Plan of My Gar-
ft Tripoli onion, 117
'\tened millipede, 456
'\, yellow, 329
plants grown in them,
6S
: France, gardens of, from
: the earliest limes, 586
Francis, Mr, 217
Pemspora infestaiis, 123
Peronospora effusa, 363
gangliformis, 363
nivea, 363
parasitica, 363
bcth in, 10
Gardenia flo.-ida, 265
Gardening, principles of,
47
den, 37
Genista sagittalis, 328
Gentiana acaulis, 324
gelida, 325
Pneumonanthe, 325
"\ turnip, 469
'"as in my garden, 450
ulex irritans, 450
Franciscea Hopeana, 252
lat folia, 252
Frankland, Professor, 29
Schleideniana, 363
viciae, 363
Peziza vesiculosa, 357
GARDENS OF VARiors
NATIONS. 562 : —
, verna, 324
Gentianas, 324
Gentianella garden, 324
^ talpse, 450
Franklin's Golden Pippin
Phallus impudicua, 3t2
of the Assyrians, 567
Gentians, 41, 324
?:s, artificial, for catch-
apple, 149
Polyactis, 363
of Babylon, hanging,
Geological sui vey, a sec-
ng trout, 500
'"it beds, mostly derived
Fraxinus excelsior, 417
Frederick Soulie rose, 278
Polyporus versicolor
356
565
Botanic, of Edinburgh,
tion of, given, 21
Geology of My Garden,
rom sponges, 24
French bean, 108
potato, 363
259, 260
20
638
INDEX.
Geometers, 486
| Golden Harvey apple,
Grasses — continued.
Greenhouse Plants— cont.
Hart ing, Mr., 537
Geophilus longicornis,
138, 147, 153
Tonka bean, 332
Midnight cereus, 257
: Hart's-tongue fern, 37(1
456
Knob apple, 149
Water, 532
Mimosa sensitiva, 254
Harvest bug, 454
George I., coins of, found
at Wellington, 18
Perfection melon, 196
Pippin apple, 153, 146
Woodroof, 332
Grasshoppers, 473
Myrospermum Pereira?,
253
i mouse, 520
Hatfield, chalk appears
II. coins of, found at
propagation of, 88
warbler, 546
Nympheea cserulea, 260
surface at, 21
Wallington, 18
plover, 531
1 Grave of an Angola cat,
oleander, 251
Hawfinch, 543
IV. peach, 173
pyrethum, 238
" Blanchet," 515
Patula, 252
: Hawk, sparrow, 553
Geotrapes stercorarius,
Gold-fish, 509
Gravel, beds of, at my
Primula denticulata,258
Hawksbill turtle, 513
466
>pawn of, 509
garden, 20, 21
Nepauliensis, 258
j Hawthorn, butterfly, 4
Geranium, Mrs. Pollock,
Goldfinches, 542
Graveustein apple, 145
sinensis, 258
Hawthornden apple, t\
235
Goliath plum, 168
1 Gray, Dr., 492, 494
rice, 252
Hawthorns, 423
Geraniums, propagation
Goniophlebium squa-
; Grayling, placed in the
Rondeletiasoeciosa, 255
double pink, 423
of, 86, 236
matum, 401
I Wandle by myself, 502
sugar-cane, 252
single scarlet, 423
varieties of, 235
subauriculatum, 40 1
Great bat, 517
tea, 252
Haulf, Mr., 389
Germany, gardens of, 595
Goodyera repens orchid,
Butterfly orchid, 293
Thea bohea, 253
Hautbois strawberry, i
Geum concinneum, 323
294
Crimean snowdrop, 314
Vallisneria spiralis, 260
Hay-fever, remedy 1
Gherkin, 101
Gooseberry bushes, tram-
Ermine Street, account
Vallota purpurea, 256
334
Giant Puff-ball, 361
ing of, 179
"of, 5
Venus's Fly-trap, 258
Hay-scented fern, 399
sunflower, 242
Gibson on the site of
diseases of, 179
growth of, 178
Yellow Underwing, 486
Greater titmouse, 546
Whitby lily, 256
Greenhouse, construction
Heartsease, 223
Heat and cold thermon
Noviomagus, 5
new varieties of, how
Grebe, Little, 527
of Poor Man's, 68
tcrs, 64
Gigantic parsnip, 344
obtained, 179
Sclavonian, 528
Greeks, gardens of the.
Heat required for 1
Gilbert White, 436, 459
propagation of, 179
Green Chisel pear, 161
572
growth of plants, 53
Gimlet, 63
pruning of, 179
Long Pod bean, 106
Grey-bearded wagtail, 545
Heath, common, 444
Ginger plant, 133
Gooseberry, Banksman,
sandpiper, 531
Grindstone, 60
Heather, 317, 444
Gipsy moth, 484
Giraldus, commonly
1 80
Broon Girl, 180
woodpecker, 539
Greenfinch, 543
Grosse Mignonne peach.
r73
Heaths, 317
Heating of frames, 68
called Cambrensis, a
Cape, 204
Green-gage, gooseberry,
Ground ivy, 337
of glass-houses, 78
Carew, 9
Companion, 179
1 80
Groundsel, 343
of indoor fernery, 73,
Girdled shell, 492
Crown Bob, 180
plum, 168
Grove', Mr., microscopic
of orchard-house, 71
Gisborne plum, 170
Early Sulphur, 180
Green-sand,lower, account
objects of, 22
of pine-pit, 80
Glade of Ferns, descrip-
Green-gage, 180
of, 20
. sacred, 574
of Poor Man's house,
tion of, 38
Pippin apple, 151
where situated, 25
Grueber, Mr. H., Preface,
Hedera helix, 280
Gladiolus, 218
Red Warrington, 180
viii.
Ra^gneriana, 280
Glass-bells or cloches, 76
Glass-houses, construc-
Rumbullion, 180
Smuggler, 180
GREENHOUSE PLANTS,
oxn • —
Grus cinerea, 530
Gryllotalpa vulgaris, 471
Hedgehog, 516
holly, 425
tion of, 67
Gordius aquaticus, 453
^49 .
Guano sometimes used for
Hedge-sparrow, 549
cucumber-house, 74
fernery, 72
Gorges, Walter, obtained
Manor at Beddington, 8
acacia, 253
Amaryllis belladonna,
a manure for plants,
52
how planted, 423
orchard-house, 70
Gossamer, 455
255
hurtful to strawberries,
made of willows, 416
Poor Man's ho se, 68
Gothic Chapel, remains
formosi.ssima, 256
52
Helianthemum vulgar
ventilation of, 76
o^, found at Wallington,
. Aponogeton dysta-
Guelder rose, 422, 440
321
vinerie-i, 74
*7
chyon, 260
Gulls, 531
Helianthus decapetali
warming of, 78, 82
Glass, pocket magnifying,
Graham, Mr., 414
grounds at Wallington,
azaleas, 250
Balsam of Peru, 253
Gunnera scabra, 234
Giinther, Dr. 495, 512
231
tuberosus, 121
66
I7
Belladonna lily, 255
Gurney, Mr. S., 497
Helichrysum, 242
Glastonbury Thorn, 423
Graham, Professor, law of
cacti, 257
Guy de la Val came into
Helicina, 492
Glaucium flavum, 248
Dialysis of, 52
camellias, 249
possession of lands at
Heliotrope, 237
Glazier's diamond, 63
Grafting, cleft, 90
camphor-tree, 253
Wallington. 16
Jenny Lind, 237
Gleichenia flabellata, 388
manners of pra;ti>ing
Cephalotus foliicularis,
Gymnogramma calomela-
Heliotropes, propagati
microphylla, 388
it, 89
259
mo-;, 402
of, 237
speluncas, 388
on, 91
Cereusgrandiflorus, 257
chrysophylla, 402
Helix aspersa, 491
Gleichenias, 388
propagation of plants
speciossimus, 257
Gymnogramma^, 402
cantiana, 492
Glen, Fern, description
by, 88
Cineraria, 254
Gyp, characteristic fea-
concinna, 492
°f> 39
saddle, 90
Cochineal opuntia, 258
ture of the dog, 5 3
ericetorum, 494
Globe Tripoli onion, 117
Grand Arab rhododen-
coffee, 252
fasciolata, 494
Globigerina bulloides, 22
dron, 441
Creeping cereus, 257
nemoraiis, 492
Globigerina found in the
Grange's Pearmain apple,
Cuscuta reflexa, 255
H.
or Succinea putris, 49
chalk of ihe district, 23
149
cyclamens, 256
pomatia, 491
Gloire de Dijon rose,
Grape hyacinths, 317
Daphne indica, 252
Habenaria Chlorantha,
pulchelln, 494
277
scissors, 60
Darlingtonia califor-
293
umbilicata, 494
Gloire des Mousseuses
Grapes, preserving of, 194
nica, 259
Hair-worm, 453
virgata, '494
rose, 278
Grape-vines, growth of,
Drosera dichotoma, 259
Halesia tetr.iptera, 427
Helleborus niger, 225
Gloria Mundi apple, 138,
185
rotundifolia, 259
Haliday, Mr., 478
Helminthosporium pyr
151.
fungus on, 364
Echmocactus tubiflorus,
Haling Park, Celtic
rum, 366, 367
Gloriosa, 286
Gloucester apple, 149
Glout Morceau pear, 160
propagated by eyes, 87
GRASSES, ORNAMENTAL,
257
epacris, 251
epiphyllum truncatum,
scrapers found at, 2
Hamilton, Rev. J., a
former Rector of St.
Hemiptera, 472
Henderson's Pine-app
beet, 102
Glow-worm, 466
33i :—
258
Mary's, Beddington, 12
Henry III., coins o
Gloxinia, propagated
Arundo donax, 333
ericas, 251
Hamlet of \\ allington, si-
found at Beddingto
fr .m a leaf, 86
Gloxinias, 263
Briza maxima, 331
media, 331
jfrranciscea Hopeana,
252
tuation of, i
Hammer, common, 63
vYlI. resided and he)
Glycine sinensis, 281
Carex pendula, 334
latifolia, 252
sledge, 63
a Council at Beddini
Gnaphalium arenarium,
Cock's foot, 333
fuchsia. 253
Hammersmith Cabbage
ton, 8
327
Couch, 333. 343
growth of, 2»9
lettuce. 94
Henslow, late Dr., 461
dioicum, 327
common reed, 332
Impatiens balsamina,
Hand-barrow, 59
Hepatica 216
leontopodium, 327
Lagurus ovatus, 332
254
Hanging gardens of
angulosa, 216
Gnats, 489
Lemon, 333
Jacobean lily, 256
Babylon, 565
Heracleum giganteum,
Goat moth, 483
Pampas, 331
1 asiandra, 252
Hardy, Sir iniffus, map
242, 344
Goatsucker or Nightjar,
Panicum variegatum,
Limnocharis Humbold-
of Roman roads, 5
Herbaceous phlox, 230
534
Gold ferns, 402
333
of Parnassus, 41, 320
tii, 260
mesembryanthenaim,
Harebell, 325
Harrington, Sir James.
HERBS AND AKOMATI
Golden-crested wren, 546
Stipa pinnata, 332
256
held landsat Wallington. !
PLANTS, 124 ' —
Golden Hamburgh vine,
Sweet-scented Vernal,
Metrosideros speciosus,
16
absinthe, 134
189
332
*54
Harris, Mr., 476
angelica, 126
IXDEX.
639
:rbs and Aroma ic Horn poppy, 248 , Hypolepis, 392 Insects in My Garden — Insects in My Garden —
Plants — continued. Hornbeam, 424 distans, wz
continued. continued.
miseed, 126 H< rne, Mrs., Preface,
repens, 386, 392
Dung beetle, 466
Schizoneu a lanugi-
>alm, 125 viii.
tenuifolium, 392
Dytiscus marginalis,
nosa, 476
>asil, 128 , Hornets, 461
Hypnum ruscifolium, 352
47i
Scolytus, 467
>orage, 126 H urn-tails, 463
ru abulum, 353
Earwig, 472
destructor, 467
:apsicums, 132 Horny Coil Shell snail, 493
aravvav, 126 Horse-chestnut, 412
serpens, 353
splendens, 353
Elatendse, 468
Gall ,464
Siphonophora pisi, 476
Sirex gigas, 464
haiiuirnile, 130
red, 413
Hyssop, 130
Garden Tiger moth,
juvencus, 463 .
:hervil, 132
hilis, 132
Horse-radish, 134
Horse-tails, 408
Hyssopus officinalis, 130
487
Geometers, 486
Stag beetle, 465
Syrphida?, 488
oriaiKler-seed, 126 i Horticultural Gardens,
Gipsy Moth, 484
Tenthredo roiarum,
ennel. 132
176, 239
I.
Glow-worm, 466
463
uver-few, 127
at Florence, 303
Gnats, 489
Thrips, 478, 479
;inger, 133
Society, 142, 148, 179,
Ichneumons, 462
Goat moth, 483
Tipulae oleracea, 488
orehound, 130
orse-rachsh, 134
183, 188, 190, 202,
203, 2i<j, 219, 229,
Ick worth's Imperatrice
plum, 169
Grasshoppers, 472
Great Yellow Under-
paludosa, 488
Tortoiseshell butterfly,
yssup, 130
252. 367 375» 383.
lie de Bourbon rose, va-
wing, 486
483 .
ivender, 127
larigolds. 126
478
paper read at, 90
rieties of, 275
Ilex aquifolium, 425
Hawthorn butterfly,
483.
Tortrix carpocapsa po-
monana, 485
mrjoram, varieties of, ; Hothouses, when first
ferox, 425
Hemiptera, 472
pruniana, 486
129 known, 579
Illicium religiosum, 441
Holly-fly, 490
Trichocera hiemalis.
lint, 124 House, account of Ronnn,
Impatiens Balsamina,
Homoptera, 472
489
ar>ley, 131 2
254
Honey-bee, 458
Tricoptera, 480
ennyroyal, 124 Fern, 72
Implements, Anglo-
Hornets, 462
Turnip flea, 460
eppermint, 124
Orchard, 42, 70
Saxon, found on Irriga- Horn-tails, 463
fly, 469
>semary, 128
Poor Man's, 42, 68
tion grounds, 6
Humble-bees, 459
Vine Scale. 478
ic, 130 Summer, 42
Inarching, propagation of
Hyalopteris pruni, 475
White butterfly, 482
ige, 125
House martin, 534, 553
plants by, 88, 90 | Hybernia defoliaria,
caterpillar, 482
unph.re, 127
sparrow, 543
Tncarnata orchis, 294
487
White willow moth,
ivory, varieties of, 1 29 Houses, 67
olanum anthropopha- Hoya bella, 288
India, gardens of, 594
Indian corn, 244
Hymenoptera, 458
June bugs, 466
Wood Leopard moth,
jorum, 133
carnosa, 288
Ingram's Prolific Muscat,
Lace-wings, 479
484
irragon, 129
propagated from a
187
Lackey moth, 484
Wasps, 460
lyme, varieties of, 125
bacco, 128
leaf, 86
imperialis, 288
INSECTS IN MY GAR-
Lady-bird, 470
Lemon aphis, 478
Water beetles, 471
Weevils, 467
imatoes, 133
oodroof, 127
Paxtoni, 288
Hoxas, 288
. DEN, 457=—
American blight, 476
Lepidoptera, 482
Lygus solani, 473
Wire-worm beetles,
468
efordshire Pearmain Hubbard's Pearmain ap-
Anthonomus pomorum,
umbellatarum, 473
Yellow-tail moth, 484
Ele, 149 pie, 149
468
Magpie moth, 485
n, 529 Hughes' Golden Pippin
ants, 465
May-flies, 479, 481 Insects, excrescences of.
r, Robert, his half- apple, 149
aphides, 473
Mealy bug, 472, 478
on the rose, oak, &c..
hny, 18 ', Humble-bees, 459
or cocci, 465
Membranous - winged,
464
l>puris vulgaris, 330 Hunting spider, 455
Aphis dianthi, 474
458
of the garden, some
lundo piscium, 448
Husca'le's manor, 14
fabae, 475
Midges, 489
u-eful, others hurtful,
paria, 534
Fewde, its situation, 15
floris rapae, 475
Mole cricket, 471
457
,sti«:a, 534
Huyshe's Victoria pear,
pea, 476
Mosquitoes, 489
on plants, how to de-
-bica, 534
160
plum, 475
Moths, 482
stroy, 479
fc,58 '
Hyacinths, 212
quercus, 477
Musk beetle, 468
Ipomoea Horsfalliae, 281
<utch, 58
feathered, 317
rapae, 462, 474
Neuroptera, 479
Learii, 281
kg, Dr., 98, 183
grape, 317
rumicis, 474, 475
Noctua (agrotis) ex-
rubro-coerulea, 281
rawberry, 183
propagated by bulbs, 87
vastator, 474
clamationis, 486
Iris, 218, 317
iaster pillula, flint cast ' Hyacinthus orientals, 212
Asparagus beetle, 469
(agrotis) segetum,
attica, 317
- 23
Hyaloptens pruni, 475
Balaninus nucum, 467
486
English. 218
(car Pippin apple, 149
!|ow Crown parsnip,
Hybernia defoliaria, 487
Hybrid Bourbon roses,
Bean aphis, 475
Beetles, 465
(mamestra) brassicae,
486
germanica, 218
nudicaulis, 317
1
varieties of, 270
Black ant, 465
Noctuidae, 486
pseud-acorus, 335
Hy. 425, 43s
China roses, varieties
aphis, 475
Oak aphis, 473
rhcetica, 317
irn, 371, 379, 399
of, 270
Blight, American, 476
Oleander Scale-insect,
Spanish, 218
r, 490
clematis, 282
Brown-tail m-ith, 484 478
Yellow water, 335
dgehog, 425
Perpetual roses, varie- ! Bruchus pisi, 467 . Union fly, 400
Irish Bristle fern, 391
y hocks, 230 ties of, 270, 272 Butterflies, 482 : Orgyia antiqua, 485'
opagation of, 230 i Hydatids, 451 j Caddis-worms, 480 Orthoptera, 471
fern, 372, 375
Peach apple, 138. 144
y Trinity Church at Hydra communis, 447
Carrot fly, 490 ; Otiorhynchus picipes, yew, 424
Ilington, account of, Fusca, 447
Celery fly, 488 467 ( Iron, marking, 64
viridis, 447
Chrysoma perla, 479 sulcatus, 467 Irrigation fields at Bcd-
loptera, 472 Hydrochansmorsus-ranse
ey bee, 458 336
Ccccus adonidum, 478
Bromelia^, 478
Pea aphis, 476 dington, Anglo-Saxon
Pemphredon unicolor, i remains found there, 6
eysuckle, 283 Hydrocotyle vulgare, 340
hesperidum, 478 463 Roman coins found
irly Dutch. 283 : Hygrometer, Mason's, 65
vitis, 478 Pentatoma oleaceu n. at, 4
panese, 283
Hylotoma rosa;, 463
Cochineal, 478
473
Italy, gardens of, 580
ite Dutch, 283
Hymenophyllum aspleni-
Cockchafer, 465
Piens br.issicae, 482
Itinerary of Antoninus,
micera fragran-
oides, 390
Cockroach, 471 crataegi, 483
quoted, 5
ssima, 283
ciliatum, 390
Codlin moth, 485 napi, 482
Iveryana azalea, 251
orine Jobert, 216
crispatum, 390
Colax dispar, 46? Plant-lice, 472
I very 's Nonsuch celery.
ded crow, 540
demissum, 371, 385, 390 ! Coleoptera, 465 Plum aphis, 475
100
ker, Dr.. 164, 373, 389,
flexuosum, 390
Crane-flies, or Daddy Pteromalus brassicae,
Ivies, 279
>!» 393, 399- 4oo
•W.J., 388
javanicum, 390
Tunbridgense, 375, 300
Long-legs, 488
Cricket, 471
482
Rose aphis, 473
Ivory dust, used for
manuring plants, 51
jp-peiticoat daffodi1,
Wilsoni, 375, 391
Currant aphis, 476
chafer, 466
Ivy, common, growth of,
Hymenoptera, 458
Death's-head moth, saw-fly, 463 279
Iper swan, 523 • Hypericum calycinum,
487 Rove beet'es, 470 Eleganti«sima, 280
|, 291 i 440
Devil's Coach - horse. Saw-flies, 463 , Gold-striped, 280
jld, 342 Hypocaust, 3 470 Scaeva balteata, 488 Ground, 337
u, fungus of, 365 remains of one found at Diptera, 487 ribcsii, 488 Hedera Kaegneriana,
c:hound, 130 Beddington, 3 Dragon-flies, 479 pyrastri, 488 a8o
640
INDEX.
Ivy, Irish, or large-leaved,
280
Killarney fern, 41, 375
King of the Pippins
Lastraeas, 380—383
Late Admirable peaoh, 173
Light required for the
growth of plants, 54
Lomaria attenuata,
Banksii, 396
New Silver-edge, 280
small or natural, 280
apple, 145
Kingdom, animal, 445
Duke cherry, 176
Dutch honeysuckle, 283
Ligustrum vulgare, 437
Lilac, 438
chilensis, 43, 372,
crinita, 384
Ixias, 218
Kingfisher, 536
Pine strawberry, 183
Persian, 438
gibba, 396
Kirby & Spence, Messrs.
Latham, Mr., Engineer to
Whitby, 256
gigantea, 396
466
the Board of Health at
Lilies, 219
minor, 396
T
Knife, asparagus, 60
Croydon, invention of, 32
of the field, 41, 316
Patersoni, 396
J-
budding, 60
Lathy rus latifolius, 233
Jacobean, 256
spicant, 396
Jack, characteristic fea-
ture of the dog, 512
Jack snipe, 531
Jackdaws, 540
Jackson Mr. coins found
pruning, 50
putty, 63
Knight, Mr.,of Hailsham,
Sussex, 272
Knight's Monarch pear,
ordoratus, 241
tuberosus, 233
Laurel, 436
Portugal, 436
Laurels propagated by
Martagon, 220
scarlet, 220
white, 219
white water, 219, 336
of the valley, 226.
Lomarias, 396
Lombardy poplar, 4
poplars, 435
London basin, 28
my garden at the
161
cuttings, 86
yellow water, 336
of, 21
Mrs., 27, 429 ; Preface,
Protecting brocoli, 114
Sweet currant, 178
Laurus camphora, 253
nobilis, 436
Lilium auratum, 219
canadense flavum, 219
London leek, 118
pride, 309
,Ym 'TT i.
Knotted majoram, 129
Laurustinus, 437
candidum, 219
kidney-leaved,
Air. Herbert, 103, 439
found fossilized fish
in cutting of Sutton
Kitchen apples list of, 149
Koch, Herr, 454, 474
Kohl rabi, 112
Lavender, 127
Lavendula spica, 127
Lavinia Maggi camellia,
chalcedonicum, 220
lancifolium, 219
Martagon, 219
Long Pod bean, 106
Surrey carrot, 121
turnips, 120
Jacobean lily, 256
James I. of Scotland,
Kolhker, Herr, 464
Kiikenmeister, Herr, 454
250
La wes & Gilbert, Messrs.,
Lily, on the site of No-
viomagus, 5
Long tailed tit, 546
Longevity, case t
coins of, found at Bed-
dington, 17
James, Sir Henry, 28
Geological Survey co-
L.
La De.esse azalea, 251
49
Lawrence, the late Mrs.,
300
Lawrence's Gage plum,
168
Limax agrestis, 491
Lime, 413
bi-sulphide of, 368
used to destroy fun-
gus, 364
Beddington, 15
Lonicera fragranti
283
Looker, Messrs., 75
Loosestrife, purple,
pied by, 21
Japan quince, 439
Variegated map'e, 420
Japanese chrysanthe-
La France rose, 271
Labels, 63
Laburnum, 421
seeds, poisonous, 422
Layers, propagation of
plants by, 85
Lea river, how formed, 28
Leaves of plants, functions
used for manuring
plants, 51
Limestone fern, 378
Limnasi, 492
Loquat, 202, 440
Lord of the Manor
lington, 16
Lord Derby apple
mum, 232
honeysuckle, 283
Jargonelle pear, 156
English, 422
Scotch, 422
Waterer's variety, 422
of, 48
propagation of plants
by, 86
Limnaeus, 205, 318, 405
Pereger, 492
Stagnalis, 492
Sufiield apple,
ether, 150
propagation of, 84, 88
Jasmine, Cape, 265
Lace-wings, 479
Lacerta agilis, 510
Lackey moth, 484
Lecanora subfusca, 333
Lee, Mr. Henry, 26
Mr., of Hammersmith,
Limnocharis Humboldtii,
260
Limpet, river, 493
Lota vulgaris, 502
Lcuise Bonne of
common white, 284
Jasminium grandiflorum,
Lactuca sativa, 94
Lady Downe's Seedling
148
Lee's Black currant, 177
Linaria alpina, 322
tristis, 322
Louise Margottin
275
284
nudiflorum, 283
Sambac, 284
vine, 188
Lady fern, 40, 371, 381
Lady of the Lake rose, 275
Perpetual fig, 201
Leeches, 448
in my garden, 448
Lindsea cultrata, 394
Linden-tree, 413
Lindley, Dr., 253
Lower Green-sand,s
of, 20
where situated, 2
Jay, 540
Jefferson plum, 168
Jenny Lini heliotrope,
Ladybird, 470
Lagena, found in chalk of
the district, 23
Leek, 117
London, 118
Leguminous plants, 102
Line and reel, 62
Linnsea borealis, 318, 444
Linnasan Society, 447
Lower Tertiary bee
count of, 26
of clay and san(
237
Jerusalem artichokes, 121
John Hopper rose, 272
John Waterer rhododen-
Lagurus ovatus, 332
Lake in my garden, 39
trout, in the Wandle,
495
Lemna minor, 339
tri^ulca, 339
Lemon aphis, 478
grass, 333
Linnaeus rhubarb, 136
Linnet, common, 542
Linota cannabina, 542
Linum flavum, 329
at my garden, 21
Lower Tertiary
account of, 20
Lucanus cervus, 46
dron, 441
Johns, Rev. A., 391
Lamarque rose, 275
a fleurs jaunes rose, 275
scented verbena, 423
thyme, 125
Lion's-paw cudweed, 327
Liparis auriflua, 484
! Lumbricus foctidus,
minor, 448
Jonquil, 213
Joseph Whitworth rho-
dodendron, 441
Josephine de Malines
Lamb Abbey Pearmam
' apple, 149
Lamb s lettuce, or corn
salad, 98
tree, 200
Lepidoptera, 482
Lepidum sativum, 94
Leptopteris, 403
chrysorrhcea, 484
dispar, 484
salicis, 484
Liriodendron tulipifera,
terrestris, 447
viridis, 448
Luminous centipede
Lupins, 225, 245
pear, 160
Juglans regia, 198
Julius Caesar azalea, 442
Julus Londinensis, 456
terrestris, 456
i Lampern, 506
structure of cartilage
of, 507
Lampyris noctiluca, 466
Land tortoise, 511
hymenophylloides, 403
Leptus autumnalis, 454
Lepus cuniculus, 521
Lesser bindweed, 342
dodder, 345
426
Listera cordata orchid, 294
Lithobius forficatus. 456
Lithospermum frutico-
sum, 324
! propagation of, 2
Lupinus polyphyllu
Lycaste aromatica c
; 299
Lychnis. 366
June bug, 466
June;. ting apple, 139
Land-rail, 528, 553
Lanei rose, 278
redpole, 542
spotted woodpecker, 539
scandens, 282
Litobrochia vespertilionis,
Lycogala epidend
356
Juniper, 425
Juniperus communis, 425
Lapageria rosea, 291
Larch-trees, 432
whitethroat, 548
Letter of the widow of
393
Little grebe, 527
Lycoperdon gigar
361
virginiana, 425
attack d by aphides, 433
Sir Walter Raleigh, n
Pixie cabbage, no
Lycopersicum es
Larix europasa, 432
Lettuce, 94
Liverworts. 341
turn, 133
f J TO
Larks, 544
Bath Cos, 94
Marchantia polymor-
Lycopodium clava
.
Larkspur, annual, 246
Cabbage, 94
pha, 354
406
Kale, 112
perennial, 229
Cos, 94
Living of Beddington, 14
Selago, 406
Asparagus, 113
: Larva of various insects,
Dixon's, 95
of Wallington, account
Lycopods, 406
Cottager's, 113
479—481
Hammersmith Cab-
of, 17
Lygodium, 404
Variegated, 113
1 Lasiandra, 253
bage, 94
Lizard, active, 510
palmatum, 404
Kalmia latifolia, 442
Lastrsea aemula, 380
Neapolitan Cabbage, 95
fish, 51 2
scandens, 404
Kalmias, 441
cristata, 380
Paris Cos, 94
Lluyd, on the site of No-
volubile, 404
Kedleston Pippin apple
curvata, 383
: Lettuce-mould, 363
vinmagus, 5
Lygus solani, 473
149
dilatata, 380
Leuciscus vulgaris, 507
Lobel a, 236
umbellatarum, 47
Keen's Seedling straw-
Filix-mas, 380
! Leucojum acstivum, 215
fu'gens, 233
Lynt>bya muralis, 3
berries, 181, 182
montana, 380
j vtrnum, 214
syphilitica, 236
Lysimachia numm
Kentish cherry, 177
Opaca, 383
Level, spirit, 63
Lob-worm, 447
''• 337
cob nut, 197
patens, 383
Lice, plant, 472
Lock to great door of hal
Lysons, the hist
snail, 492
rigida, 380
Lichens, 353
of Manor-house, account
quoted, 13
Kerry Pippin apple, 145
Sieboldii, 383,
Lecanora subfusca, 354
of, 9
i mentions remain
Kestrel, 553
i Standishii. 383
Physcia parietina, 353
: Loddiges, Messrs., 87
Roman house, 5
Keswick Codlin apple, 150 Thelypteris, 371, 380
; Ramalina fastigiata,
I, omaria alpina, 384, 396
Ly thrum roseum, 3
Kidney bean, 107
varia, 383
353
1 alpina major. 384
1 salicaria, 335
IXDKX.
641
M. Marquise de Mortemart Mesembryanthemum, 256 Mcoi hens, 528 Mush room spawn, 358
rose, 271 Mespilus, snowy, 427 ', nests. 528 spores ircniiinatiivj. 01
u-ao, garden of Camo-
is, the Portuguese poet,
Marrows, 119 Metrosideros speciosus, | Moorpark apricot, 171 Mu>lin>ouis, cells of, 337
Marnibium vu'gare, 130 1 254 Morchel'a crass. pes, 361 growth of, 357
' 594
Marsh, Dr., former Rector Midge , 489
esculent-!, 360 ' propagation of. 358
icartney roses, 276
of St. Mary's, Bed- M idni^ht cereus, 257
Murello cherry, 176 Mfsk beetle, 468
tchine mowing, 60
dington, 14 Michael Waterer rhodo- Morels. 160 cianr. 248
ickenzie, Mr., 199
Marsh fern, 41, 380, 371
dend-on, 4^1
Morlexs, family of the, at Mu>selbur^h leek, 118
icpherson, Rev. W.,
marigold, 335
Microscopic objects of
Beddinutnn, 8 Mu-tard, 93
,8, 380
orchid, 317
Mr. Groves, 22
Mot ningtun, Lndj', 426 Musiela enninea. 521
id -me Barriot rose, 271
varieties of, 294
Mignonette, 242
Morus nigra, 201
vu'garis, 521
Jominique Vervaene
tit, 54"
Migration of starlings,
Mosquitoes, 489
My Al(..ineries, how con-
azalea, 251
Marshal Xiel roce, 277
54i
Moss roses, varieties of \ structed, 303
lardy rose, 270
Marsilea c;uadrifolia, 407
of swa lows, 536
277
fenurics, 369
,egras St. Germains
macropus, 407
of wood pigeons, 532
Mossery, description of,
fishery, ,04
rose, 270
Martin, house, 5^4, 553
Mildew, 3^5
41 forest trees, 403
ilioJan-Carvalho rho-
dodendron, 441
sand, 5^4, 553 Milky slug, 491
Masdevallia Veitchii or- \ MlLLIPEDRS IN MY GAR.
MOSSES, 351 : —
fruit garden. 137
Garden, situation or, i
'lantier rose, 270
rervaene azaleas, 251
'outman rose. 270
gnetism or electricity,
i infliu nee on plants, 54
gnolia conspicua, 426
randiflora, 426
gnolias, 426
chir1, 303
Mason's hygrometer, 65
Mathiola, 242
Mathotiana camellia, 250
alba camellia, 250
Mattock, 57
Maurice de Creon, had
lands at v» allington, 16
DEN, 456 : —
Blaniulus guttatus, 456
earth-snake, 456
flattened millipede, 456
Julus Londinensis, 456
terrestris, 456
Polydesmus complana-
Bryum intermedium,
Cepatadon purpureus,
Club mosc, 406
Feather mi«ss, 353
Fontiualis antipyretica,
animals, 512
general plan of, _;7
geology of. 20
too.s, 56
g' ass-houses, 67
orchicis. 192
Myatt s garnishing rar.-
ley, 13'
gpie moth, 485
Hgpies. 540
Maxillaria fimbriata or-
< hid, 299
tus, 456
Mill, paper, at Carshal-
35'
Funaria hygrometrica,
35^
Pine strawberry. 183
Mycelium, fin gus pr->,) i-
hebeb, used for work-
y cherry-trees on, 91
Harrisonii orchid, 299
Maxillarias orchids, va-
ton, 27
close to my garden, 26
Hypnum ruscifol urn, ! .. Sf.ed bv thf' 9»
f^ Myoma musculinus, 4-3
honia aqnifolium, 439
rieties of. 209
view of, irom Lake, 44
rutab: lum 353
Myosotis dissit flora, ^25,
nder.hair fern, 374 Maximum thermometer.
Mill-tail, 44
318
ree, 423
64
Mills at Wallington, ac-
serpens, 353
splendens, 353
palustris, 310, 338
Irjoram, 129
May Duke cherry, 176
counts o1, 16
Mnium cuspidatum
sylvatica, 318
notted. 129 Queen strawberry, 182
their number. 16
-3 CO
sylvestns, 225
la Cala apple, 142 j r' d, 423
flour, at Carshalton, 27
JJ~
rupestris, 225
R maritima, 240 whi e. 423
mentioned in Dooms-
Potda^runc-u-i55^ rupicola, 319
1e ferns, 372, 3^9 VI ay-flies, 479, 481
day Book as being at
Sohaenum acutiiolium Myoxus avellanaru0, 522
K'let. 63 Mazagaa b an, 106
Beddington, 7, 8
^-2 ' i Mynca Gale, 443
tlow plant, 338 Mazus pumi-io, 320
snuff, at Beddingion, 26
Tortula muralis, 353 Mxros^ermum Percirn;.
jlva sylvestris 338 McClellan apple, 149
M;lne, Rev. Mr., 308
253
I'D. en'ozoa of, 451 Meadow p'pit, 544
Miltonia orchid, 302
Motacilla Boarula, 545 Myrtle, 443
m orchids, 29^, 317 Meadow-sweet,' 337, 440 i Mimosa sensitiva, 254
>;ndevilla suaveolens, ' Mealy bug, 472/4 8 M mulus moschatus. 248
Rayi, 545 Bog, 443
Yarrelli. 544 Myitus c •mmums, 44-5
'•> Measlv pork, how occa- Minervini, M. le Com-
Moth, Brown-tai', 484 i Myxogastres, 356
.igold-wurze's, can be sioned, 452 mandeur, 4
Cod. in, 485
i:d for bread, 102 Mediaeval history of Bed- Miniature aster, 244
Currant, 179
XT
toico, Mr., 44 dington, 7 Minimum thermometer,
Death's-head, 487 r*'
pnkigton's Pearmain Medlar. Dutch, 1^4 i 64
Garden-tiger, 487
f|)le, 146
Nottingham, 154
Minnie rhododendron, 441
Gipsy, 484
Napoleon pear, 101
ijior House, built by
Roval. i=;4
Mint, 124
Goat, 483
Narcissus, 213
£ Francis Carew, 9 Medlars, growth of, i"U Miss Grey r.-se, 275
Lackey, 484
bulbocodium, 2'3
»jior, lord of the, 16
storinsrof. 1*4. Missel thrushes, sso
Magp e, 485
incomparabilis, ^13
ciors at Heddington, lime for gathering of, Mistletoe, cells of, 91
White \villow. 484
June fol.us, 213
Account of, 7 154 i M tcham famous for its
Wood leopard 484
Jonquilla, 213
' Huscarle, 14 Melicerta ringers, 447
peppermint, 124
^ ellow tail, 484
maximus, 213
Wallington, account Melissa officinalis, 125
Mites, varietie- of, 453 Mother apple, 149
minor, 213
•f, 16 Melolontha vul^aris, 465
Acarus domesticus, 4^3 Mountain ash, 417
orientalis, 214
fetisia saltatoria orchid, Melon aphis, 196, 477
Gamasus coleoptrato- fern, 380
poeticus, 214
I acole. 142 146
rum, 453
fern-, 371
Pseudo-Narcissus, 213
Imre, the best kind for
Melon Rtechwood, 196
Mouse mite, 453 Mouse, common. 519 i Nardoo plant, 407
tarden. 51, 52
Bromham Hall, 196
Myobia musculinus, 453 : common smew, 520
.Nasturtium, 99
Me, American, 420
Golden Perfection, 196
Sarcoi tes Scabiei. 453 } field, 520
officinale, 92
ipan variegated, 420
gar, 420
Orion, 196
Queen Anne's Pocket,
Sparrow mite, 453
Tyroglyphus destructor,
harvest, 520
mite, 453
Nasturtiums, 246
Neapolitan Cabbage let-
lanta fascinta, 262
196
453 • ; Moxon, Dr., 445, 447
tuce, 95
ican>, 262
Turner's Gem 196
farinse, 453 1 Mrs. Bosanquet rose, 275
violets, 222
skills 262
ttata, 262
ar-awiczii, 262
Ijnna 2^2
Williams' Paradise
Gem, 196
Melon-pit, ventilation of,
of plants, 43 Mrs. John Clutton n.oao-
Red spider, 453 dendron, 441
Mnium cuspidatum, 352 Mrs. Pollock geranium,
Nectarine, Elruge, 175
Orange, 175
Pitmaston's' range, 175
Rivers' Seedling. 175
lantas, 262
lanthcmum bi folium,
Melons, diseases of, 196
grow th of, 195
Mock plane-tree,3 400 M-lbem-, growth of, 201
orange, 438 MUller, Mr., 350
Violette Hative, 175
Nectarine-tree growth . f.
propagation of, 195
Mole. 517 Murray, Mr., 90
175 • • r h
asmius oreades, 359
Melosira variant, 351
cricket, 471 Mus messorius. 520
new varieties of, how
Jattia laxa, 403
'chantia, 341
Hgil apple, 149
iie Raumann rose, 271
P.lois rose, 278
viise pear. 158
1 igold, Marsh, 335
' /golds, 126
^ine origin of chalk
:iwn, 23
'•king-iron, 64
Membranous -winged in-
sects, 458
Meniscium, 402
simplex, 402
Mentha, 124
piperita, 124
Menyanthes trifoliata, 330
Menziesia politolia, 317
Mergus albellus, 526
Meridion circulare, 351
Merulius lacrymans, 368
Moles, fleas of, 450
Monads, 145
Moneywort, 337
Mongredien, Mr., 423
Monkshood, 221
Monti, Monsieur de, 583
Montserrat, Viscount de,
Monuments in St. Mary's
Church, Beddington, 13
Moon- wort, 381
muscu'us, 519
sylvatica, 520
Musa Cavendishii, 203
Muscat grape-vines, 191
of Alexan ria v.ne, 1^1
Bowood. 191
Canon Hall, 191
Ingram's Prolific, 187
St. Laurent vine, ilq
Tottenham Park, 191
Muscicapa grisola, 532
obtained, 172
propagation of, 172
training of, 175
Neat snail, 492
Nelis d'Hiver pear, 160
Nemojhilas, 240
Nepenthes ampullacea
nil cher plant, ^03
distillaiorU pitcher-
plant, 303
Icvis pitcher plant, 303
TT
INDEX.
Nepenthe? Rafflesiana
Noviomagus, the position
Opium poppy, propagated
Orchids — c on tin ued.
Palm- date, 265
pitcher plant, 304
of town considered, 5
by seed, 83
Masdevallia Veitchii,
Palms, 26;, 427
Neph' odium, 399
aemuliim, 399
supposed site of, 5
Nuthatch, 537
Opuntia, 202
Rafflesquiana, 202
Maxillaria fimbriata,
Pampas grass, 331
Pancratium zevlan
cristatum, 379
Nuts, growth of, 197
Orange, mock, 438
299
dtlat.ituTi, 399
new vaaet es, how ob-
thyme, 125
Harrisonii, 299
Pancratiums, 263
Filix-mas, 399
taine 1, 07
Orange-jelly turnip, 120
Milt mias 302
Paniciim variegatun
Oreopteris (montanum;,
propagation of, 197
Orangery at Beddington,
Maxilhri.ts, varieties
Pansies, 223
399
NUTS •
- ccount of, TO
of, 295
Papaver midicaule,
patens, 399
Or.uiges, varieties of. 199
Od .ntoglossiimAlexan-
somniferum,propa
molle, 386, 400
A 1
Atlas, 197
Orch *rd- house, construe
drise, 301
by seed, 83
sanctum, 400
Cosford, 197
tion of, 70
gr-nde, 301
Paradise stock use
Sieboldii, 399
sninulosum, 379
Kentish Cob, 197
Purple FUberr, 197
heating of. 71
pl-mts grown in, 71
f h il cnopsis, 301
pulchellum, 301
working apple-tree
Qi
Thelypteris, 399
Ne Plus Me.iris pear,
Red ^ilbert, 197
White Filbe t, 197
ventilation of, 71
watering of, 72
O 'out iglas-ums, varie-
ties o(, 301
Paradises of the Per
570
160
Nutting's beetroot, 102
where situated, 42
Oncidium altissimum,
Paraffin-oil lamps,
Ne Plus Ultra pea, 104
Nymphaea caerulea, 260
Orchidaceous pi nts,
297
for warming
azalea, 442
growth of, 5 (, 292
flexuosum, 297
houses, 82
Nests of golden-crested
Orchids, terrestrial,
Harri.-ai, 298
Parasi e of the ox, i
wren, 546
0.
growth of, 44, 294
luridiiTi, 298
Parasites in My 02
of hornets, 462
papilio, 297
450
of moorhens, 528
Oak, American, 414
ORCHIDS, 41, 292: —
Oucidiums, varieties of,
Paris, Comte de, 29
of reed-warbler, 547
evergreen, 414
Aceras authropophora,
297
Cos lettuce, 94
of rooks, 541
Fulham, 414
293
Opera Girls, 298
Parish of Beddmgtc
construction of, $08
Beddington, 18
crispum. 300
Ophrys apifera, 293
musci'era, 293
223
of swallows, 534
Turkey, 414
Anacctocliilus argen-
Pensteria alata, 302
P.trker's Yellow viole
of thrushes, 551
Oak aphis, 473
teus, 300
Phajus grandiflor t, 298
Parnassia palustris,
of wasps, 461
f rn, 40, 371, 178, 403
pictus 301
Phalaenopsis grandi-
Parnas«us, grass of, ^
of wrens. 538
Oaks, 414
Djwsonianus, 301
flora, 296
Parrot tulips, 217
Neurontera, 479
dimensions of one at
Lowii, 300
Spot eJ, 317
Parsley, 131
New Hawthornden apple,
Beddington, 429
(macode-) petola, 301
pile, 293
feni, 378,^392
ICO
gall on, 464
ordiana, 301
Stanhopea, 300
Myatt's Garnishin
New Silver Edge ivy,
Objects microscopic, of
setaceus, or
Tricopi'ii tortilis, 302
Parsnip, 121
280
Mr. Groves, 22
intermedium, 301
V^nda tricolor, 297
Hollow Crown, 12
New Zealand spinach, 109
Ochroleucum rhododen-
varieties of, 300, 301
Vandas, varieties of,
Student Selected,
Newington Wonder bean,
dron, 441
Veitchii, 301
297
Parsnips, fungus of,
107
October cherry, 177
xanthophyllus, 301
Vanilla, 303
Parsonage-house at
Newman, Mr., 485
O ymiim b tsilicnm, 128
Angraecum sesquipe-
aromatica, ^03
dinuton, feud abo
N^wtown Pippin apple,
138, 142, 146, 149
Nicolini, M.le Chevalier, 4
Odling, Professor, 29, 49
Odontoglossum Alexan-
dria; orchid, 301
dale, 302
Bee, 293, 317
r'rassia maculua, 299
Ord's apple, 148
Orgyia antiqua, 485
part of a Roman h
2
Partridge, 531
Nicotiana, 128
gr-nde orchid, 301
Priti-h varieties of, 292
Origanum, 129
Parus ater, 546
Nightingale, 548, 553
Nightjar or goatsucker,
Ni,'ht-hade, 342
Nimrod strawberry, 183
Ninev-h. gardens of, 565
Nitrogenized matter som"-
Phalasnopsis orchid. 301
pulchel'um orchid, 301
Od ntojos^ums orchids,
varieties of, 301
Odour r-f pinks, how ob-
tained, 227
CEn thera biennis, 245
Butterfly, 317
Calanthe ves ita, 300
Cattleya Forbesii, 299
lab ata, 298
Mossiae, 298
Skinneri, 298
Cattleyas, varieties of,
majorana, 129
Oricn melon, 196
O'-leans plum, 168
Ormerod, Dr., 461
Ornamental grasses, 331
Orthopt-ra, 471
Oscar strawberry, 183
caeruleus, 545
caudatus, 546
major, 546
palustris, 546
Pasque flower, 3T5
Passe Colmar pear,
Crasanne pear, 16
times reqtii ed to be
Oidium fr-'ctigenum, 367
298
Osmunda, 403
Passer clomesticus, 5
ad Jed to soils, 51
Noc ua (agrotis)exclama
leucoconium, 365
Tuckeri, 364
Caelogyne cristata, 303
Ch nese, vareties of,
cinnamomea, 382, 403
Claytoniana, 403
montanus, 543
Passiflora Bellotti, a
tionis, 486
Oleandra articulata, 400
296
gracilis 382
csele-tina, 287
(ma-nestra) brassicse,
Old Nonpareil apple, 147,
148
common. 292
Cypripediumbarbatum,
interrupt,*, 382, 403
regalis, 381, 382, 371,
caer.ilea, 287
edulis, 203
(ag'otis) sesretum, 486
Old Scott, or W. Stuart,
2^9
4°3
Kernicsina, 287
Noc uidae, 486
the veterinarian, 15
calceolus, 294
cnstata, 381
macrocarpa, 203, 1
Noblesse peach, 173
Oleander, 251
caudatum, 299
spec'abilis, 403
princeos, 287
Nodosaria f.mnd in chalk
of -he district, 23
No'sette roses, varieties
Sca'e insect, 478
Omphalodes verna, 318
Onc'dlcin a ti-siraum or-
inMgne 299
spectabil-1, 294
Cj pripediums, varieties
j f f
O>mundas, 40
Oticrhynchus picipes, 467
sulcatus 467
quadrangular s, z(
Passion-flowers, 487
edible, 203
of, 275
N mionim turgida, 22
chid, 297
flexu >sum orchid, 997
of, 299
viliosum. 299
Ova, how kept, previous
to being hatched, 499
Pastinaca sitiva, 121
Patcham, near Brig
Nonpareil cabbage, no
Harrisii orchid, 298
Denurobiuni nobile, 296
of trout, 497
where rises a river
apple, 138
luridnm orchid, 298
Pierardii, 296
O>er-fall 40
lar to the Bourne, 3
Norfolk Biffin apple, 138
Norfolk fern, -<8o
papilio orchid, 297
Oi ion, Flat Tripoli. 117
Dove, or Holy Ghost,
302
' "wen, Professor, 341, 524
Ow , white, 553
Patula, 252
Paul, Messrs., 189, a
Normandy Pippin apples,
Globe Tripoli, 117
Epidendrum, 300
Ox, para»ite of, 450
Ricant rose, 270
N .rth American ferns, 42,
Rocc-, 117
Spanisn, 117
epiphytic, growth of,
294
Ox:ilidae, 316
Oxalis Acetosell-, 98, 316
Pea, 102
Champion of Eng
••572
Onions, 116
Fly, 293, 317
crenata, 121
103
Northern Spy apple, 142,
T46
crystals \~>, 117
fung -s of, 363
Go.idyera repens. 20^
Great Butterfly, 203
rosea, 316
propagated by seed,
Daniel O'Rourke,
J 'ixon's Early, 103
Norway cloudberry, 205
Nostoc commune, 346
O<iion-fly, 490
Oniscus asellus. 449
Habenaria Chlorantha,
293
83
Ox-eye. 337
Everlasting, 233
Ne Plus Ultra, ro<
Notes of various biros, 553
Onoclea sen-ibilis, 389
Incarnata, 294
Oxycoccus, 204
Sutton's Ringleadc
Njthochlacna. 401
Onychium japonicum,
Listera cordata 204
Sweet, 233
Marantas, 385
385, 792
Lycaste aromatica, 299
Veitch's J'erfection
nivea, 401
sen ibile, -185
Maculat-, 293
P.
Pea aphis, 476
Nottingham medlar, 154
Ophioglossiaceoe, 405
Man, 293 317
fungus of, 363 — 36,
N<-Miveau Poiteju pear,
Ophioglosstim vulgatum,
IVtantisia saltatoria, 298
Pachyphytum bracteo-
mildew, 365
i6r
381, 405
Marsh, 317
sum, 313
Peach,Mr.,ofDcrb\
Nouvelle Fulvie pear,
Ophrys apifera, 293
varieties of, 294
Palestine (ancient and
Peach-leaves attackt
162
muscifera, 2/3
Mascula, 292
modern) gardens of, 568
aphis, 369
IXDEX.
643
ich-trees, growth of,
P.-a' s — continued.
Perennial Plants — contd. Pimpinella Anisum, 126 Plan's, American, 441
Louise Bonne, 157, 165
pentstemons, 229
Oncers. 6}
am junt of cui bomc acid
c\v varieties of, how ob-
of Jersey, 157
peonies, 234 Pii.e, Sc >tch, 427
given off, over one
ta'ned, 172
Marie Louise, 158, 162,
phloxes, 230
Stone. 427
acre of land, 49
•i in of, 172
165
picotees 227
Variegated, 262
Annual, 240
run'n.4' o , 174
Na.-oleon. 161
pinks, 227
aquatic, 41
raining of, 175
Ne Ph'S Meuris, 160,162
poi\anthus, 224
P ie app:e Russet apple,
Aromatic, 124
Neiis d'Hiver. 160, 165
prlmr ses, 223
149
atmosphere for, 48
\CHES : —
Nouveau Poiteau, 161
Pnmu'a japonica, 224 Pine-apple, Black Jamai-
Bedding, 234
^ec. 173
Nouvclle Fulvie 162
Pyrethrum c-iinsum,
ca, 208
Biennial, 247
ipricot, 175
1 asse Colmar, 160
233
Provid- nee, 207
Bulbous 210
Sellegard, 173
Passe Crasanne, 161
Rudbeckia. 2 31
(,) teen, 207
clay sometimes useful
:arly Alfred, 173
Poi. de Paradi-, 161
snapdragons, 228
Tr.nidad, 207
for their growth, 50
Beatrice, 172
Powell's Premier, 162
sweet peas, 233
i'iiie apples, sirowth of, 207
climbing, 279
Louise. 172
JYickly, 202
vi. lets. 222
propagation of, 207 composition of, 48
•reorge the Fourth, 173 ;
1 hompson's, 158
wallflowers, 226
Pine pit, heating of, 80 | derive the nitrogenizcd
'•rosse Mignonne, 173
TJvedale's St Germain, '
Pin^uicula vulgaris, principles and sahs
, -te Admirable, 173
156
Peristeria alata orchid, 302
Pinks, 42, 227, 246 from the ground, 48
snbles^e, 173
\"ic ir of Winkfie'd, 161
Pe'iwinkles, 443
o Jour of, new proc ss to epiphytic, salts o. eel' of
•ictoria, 173
Williams's Bon Chre
Per.e d' \ng'eteire apple.
obtain it, 227 one plant pass into cell
tir-tree Walk, 42
t en, 157
142
propagation of, 86, 227 of another, the reason
escription of, 38 434
ir-trees grafted on '
Pearson's Long Gun cu- \
cumber, 101
Peronospora effusa, 363 \
gang iformis, 363
Pinnulai ia major, 350 why, 52
P.nus insignis, 427 ; exact mineral consti u-
quince stock, 91
Crown in pots 166
Plate apple, 148
Peat at my garden, 20, 21 i
Peewit S3i
nivea, 363
parasitica, 363
Sclileideniana, 363
Pinaster, 427 er.ts of, 50
Pinea, 427 functions of leaves. 48
sylvestris, 427 of roots of, 48
,ew v-rieties of, how
obtained, 155
n-raniids, 163
)ro:'ag'tion of, 84, 155
mining of, 163
ars, baking 155
esert. 156
ungus of, 366
gathering or, 166
jrit of, 162
nerrv, 155
jclerogen in, 162
.toring of, 166
AKS, 154 : —
Pelargoniums, 235
Peli -S Herns, 509
Pellea flexuosa, 392
roiur.difolia, 392
Pemphredon unicolor. 4*3 i
Peiid lous beech, 419
Pciiicillium glaucum, 355 !
Pcnisporainfestans, a fun-
gus, 123
Penny of Edward IV.
found at Carshalton, 18
Saxon, found on Irriga-
tion fields, 7
silver Saxon, found in
vic'ae. 363
Perry pea s, 155
Persepolis, garden at, 566
Persian lilac, 438
yellow rose, 269
Persians, ancient and
modern, gardens of the,
Pestilence usually at
( roydon when the |
Bourne rises, reason ]
why, 35
Petasites vulgaris, 344
Peterborough House, Ful-
ham, 160. 203
Pip t, meadow, 544
Pirot, A am de, 14
PISCICULTURE : —
fish-house, 498
fish-tray, 497
how practiced, 497, 498
ova, how kept pre-
vious to being hate .ed,
499
ova of trout 497
practised extensively in
France, 497
the time for turning
young trout into the
Greenhouse. 249
guano sometimes used
as a manure, 52
herbs, 124
Leguminous 102
necessary food ««f. best
mode of supp y ing it, 50
orchidaceous, growni
of, 49, 292
1 perennial. 2 2
; position of roots, 49
principle of watering.
49- 50
propagation or, 83
I reduce their carbon
\lexander, 157
"\mer.ca, 161
Autumn Hergamot, 161
Josephine, 162
Beadnell's Seedling, 161
Hellissime d'Hiver, 156
Benedictine, 162
Beurre ri'Amanlis, 161
B sc. 161
Pennyroyal, 124
Penratoma o eaceum, 473
Pentstemon glaber. 229
Pentstemons. 42, 229
Peony, 234
Peon> -flowered aster, 244
Peppermint, U4
extensively grown at
Petromyzon fluviatilis,5o6
Petroselinum sativum, 131 j
Petunia. 236
Peziza vesiculosa, 357
P\ ajus grandiflora orchid,
298
Phala;nopsis grandiflora
orchid, 296
Ph llus impudicus, -162
S' reams, 499
trout how to feed when
first hatched, 499
Pisum sativum, 102
Pitcher-plants, 303
Nepenthes ampullacea,
3°3
distillatoria, 303
levis, 303
compounds from the
atmosphere, 48
require a certain
Amount of water, 49
require different soils
according to their
kind, 49
require heat and light,
&c., 48
de Capiaumont, 158
Clairgeau, 158
Diel, 159
Giffard 157
Perdrix cine'rea mi 1 hhaseolus multiflorus, 108
Pereira, Dr.. 130, 253 vulgaris, 107
Perennial pl.mts, how to peasant, 531
"•row 222 Philadelphus coronanus,
Raffles;ana. 304
Saracenias, 300
Pitm ston's Golden Pip-
pin apple, 149
I require nitrogemzed
compounds, anu mine-
ral ingredients, 50
roots of, position of, 49
Goubah, 161
S )
438
Orange nectarine, 175 i balad, 92
Ranee, 160
PERKNNIAL PLANTS,
mexicanus, 439
Pine apple apple, 148 sometimes require
Supcrfin, 159
222 : —
Phillyrras, 437
Pine-apple Pippin apple, ' shade, how accom-
Van Mons, 161
Bezi Mi, 161
acanthus mollis, 233
carnations, 227, 228
Philomela Luscinia, 548
Philpotts, Mr., 26, 27
145 pli-hed, 5.3
Russet Nonpareil apple, silex contained in some,
Brockworth Park, 162
Christmas rose, 225
Phlox divaricata, 323
145 5°
Broompark, 161
Catillac, 155
chrysanthemums, 231
columbine, 229
Drummondii, 243
herb ceous. 230
Pits, 67 skill required in water-
Plan of Croquet-ground, \ ing, 49
Chaumnntel, 159, 166
cowslips, 224
Nelsonii, 323
44 Stove, 261
Citron des Cannes, 156,
dahlias, 230
Phloxes, 323
oi my garden described, subject to certain varia-
1 66
daisies, 226
; propagation of, 87, 230
87 .t.on, 47
Crasanne, 159
Dorothee Royale Nou
velle, 161
Delphinium Bella-
donna, 229
Doronicum caucasicum,
Phragmites comm 1^.332
! Phj lapenthahorticula,4^6
Phvmatodes lycopodioi-
Plane. 63
Ptniie-tree, 421
mock. 420
the amo nt ot woody
fi re of. in one year, 49
the best manure for, 51,
Doyenne de Cornice,
226
j*
des, 401
Planorbis carinatus, 493 j 52
. 165
Escallonica californica,
Phy-alis edulis 204
complanatus, 493 j the quantity of potash
d htc, 156, 1*6
I htdiesse d'Angouleme
Durandean. 161
229
Everlasting peas, 233
Gunnera scabra, 234
heartsease, 223
Physcia parietina, 353
: Phytomyza ilic;s, 490
Pica caudata, 540
i Picea nobilis, 428
Contort us, 493
corneus, 493
vonex, 493
PlanorLulina Ungeriana
in the ashes ot dit-
ferent plants, 50
the time required for
iheir g owth van .s, 55
Kaster Beurre, 160
Epine d'Hiver, 162
Helianthus decapetalus,
231
pectinata, 428
Pickaxe, 57
22 used tor salads, 92
Pla:it-lice, 472 Ve-etals. 92-1^6
Gansel Rergamot, 161
General Todleben, 159
Glout Morceau, 160.
l65
Green Chisel, 161
hollyhocks, 230
Myosotis dissitiflora,225
rupestris, 225
sylvestris, 225
larkspurs, 229
Picotees. 42, 227
1 Picus viriois, 539
minor, 539
i Pied wagtail. 544
! Pier is brassiest, 482
mires, 453 ^ >ld, 334
Plantation, cranberry, Platanus, 421
how arranged, 41 occidentalis, 421
Plants, Alliaceous, 116 orientalis, 421
Alpine 41 j Platt, Sir Hugh, on cher-
Huyshe's Victoria, 160
Jargoiu 11 :, 156, 162, 165
perennial, 229
lilies- of the vahey, 226
crataegi, 483
; napi, 482
cannot be grown at ries, quoted, 10
\ lorence, the reason, Platyceiium a:thiopicum
Josephine de Malines,
160, 1 66
Lobelia fulgens, 233
lupins, 225
Pigeons, how to train
them, 533
5? 4°3
alternately require aK.korne. 386, 40
Knight's Monarch, 161
pansies, 223
• wood, 532
jjrowlh and res , ^4 graiu'.e, 403
644
INDEX.
P'a'yceriu-ns, 403 j Polypodium hexaptera, Potentilla anserina, 327, Prooaga' ion of pinks. 227 Pyrethrum carneum,
Platylomi flexuo^a, 393
rotundifolia, 392
Hneatum, 401
343
Potentil as, 327
of plants by runners, 87 golden, 238
of plum-trees, 168 Parthenium. 218
PI .•urosigma attenuatum,
lonceum, 401
Poterium Sanguis orba, 98
of polyanthus plants,
Pyrethrums, propaga
350
lycop dioides, 400
Pot apple-trees, 142
224
of, 238
Pium aphi«, 475
musaefolium, 401
currant-trees, 178
of pyrethrum plants,
Pyrrhula vulgaris, 54
Plum-trees grown in pots,
per>ic.tfolium, 401
mulberry- trees, 201
238
Pyrus aucuparia, 417
170
growth of, i63
Phr gopteris, 378, 400
pilose! loides, 401
pear-trees, 166
plums, 170
of quince-trees, 167
of raspberry-trees, 185
communis, 154
Malus, 138
new varieties of, how
obtained. 168
plumula, 400
refractum, 401
st-awberry plants, 181
Pottery, Roman. 3
of Ribston pippin. 88
of rose-trees. Hybrid
prunifolia, 152
prop -tiati >n of, 85, t68
Reinwardtii, 401
Potti i truncata, 353
perpetuals. 272
pru ing of, 171
repens, 401
Powell & Lealand, Messrs.
Rose de Meaux, 269
Q.
Plums, cooking. 169
Robertianum, 378, 400'
260
Scotch 269
dessert, 168
squamatum, 401
Powell's Premier pear, 1 62
of strawberry- plants,
Qinil, 531
fungus of, 367
squarrosum, 400
Power, Mr. W. H., 538,
181
Queen Anne's Po
PLUMS :
stigmaticum, 401
547
of verbenas, 237
melon, 196
Belgian Purple, 169
subauriculatum, 401
verrucosum, 400
President strawberry, 183
Prickly pear, 202
of vines, 194
of violets, 223
Queen Elizabeth's oak
coins of, found at ]
Belle de Louvain, 169
Bi. *
vulgare, 371, 378
P.ickly-see led spinach.
of walnut-trees, 198
dington, 17
ullace, 170
vulgaris. 400
109
of Wellingtonias. 431
visited Bedding on,
Cluster Damson. 170
Coe's Golden Drop, 169
Polvpodiums, 400
Polypody, 43.. 371, 378
Primrose, Abyssinian, 326 Propagation of plants, 83
pnpagated by division by budding, 88, 90
Queen of the Beai
camelia, 251
Damson, 170
Diamonil, 170
E^rlv Mirabelle, 168
/-.. i *
alpine, 41
common variety of, 40
limestone. 371
of roots, 87
Primroses, 223
Primula amoena cortusoi-
by bulbs, 87
by circumvallation, 85
by cuttings. 86
Queen pins-apple, 205
Quekett, Mr. 184, 507
Quercus ilex, 414
Gisborne, 170
Goiiath, 168
Greengage, 168
Ick worth's Imperatrice,
Polyporus versicolor, 356
Po'ypothecia, cup-shaped
sponge, 24
Poiy;tichum aculeatum,
des, 326
auricula. 327
denticulata, ^58, 326
japonica, 224
by division, 87
by eyes, 87
by grafting, 89
by inarching, 88
robur, 414
suber, 414
Querquedula crecca. ,
Quince, common, 167
169
Jefferson, 168
Lawrence's Gage, 168
Or'eans, i63
Prince Englebert, 169
Prince of Wales, 170
Reine Claude VioleUe
379, 399
angulare, 379
Lonchitis. 379
proliferum, 379
Po ystichums, 371,372,379
Pomegranate, growth of,
204
Nepauliensis, 258
sinensis. 258
veris, 224
villosa 326
vulgaris, 223
Primu'as. 41, 326
propagatio > of, 87, 224
by layers, 85
hy leaves, 86
by roots. 86
by seed, 83
by suckers. 85
by tubers, 87
Protococcus viridis, 345
Japan, 439
Portugal, 167
Quince-trees, growth
167
propagation of, 85,
used to graft pear-t
on, 91
168
Rivers' Early Favour-
Po.n pones, 231
Pond in mossery, 41
Prince Albert app'e 149
Englebert plum. 169
Provence rose. 270
Providence pine-apple, 207
ite, 168
Pondiceps cornutus, 528
Henry des PaysBas 442
Pruning knife, 59
R.
Prolific, 169
Rochester Cluster Dam-
minor, 527
Poor Man's House, con-
Humbert rose, 271
of Wales plum, 170
saw. 59
shear>. 59
Rabbit, 521
son. 170
Washington, 170
\\7' O
struction of, 63
heating of. 70
strawberry, 183
Princess Alice Maude
Pruning of roses. 274
Prunus domestica, 168
Radish, 97
Black Spanish, 97
Wine Sour, 170
Yellow Magnum
plants grown in it, 69
whe~e situated, j.2
strawberry, 183
Frederick William ca-
ins.titia, 170
sinensis, 426
turnip, varieties of,
Rails, land, 528, 553
Bonum, 170 Poplar. Balsam. 412 mellia. 2=10
triloba, 426
water, 528
Pocket magnifying glass,
Black, 411 Louise Victoria rose, 272
Pseudo-Diadema vario-
Rain-gauge, 65
66
Italian, 410
of Wales strawberry. 183 i lare, variety of echini, 23
Raisin de Calabre v
Poinsettia pulcherrima,
L mbardy, 410, 435
Princesse de Lamballe Psila rosae, 490
189
205
Wee pine, 412
rose. 270
Pteris, 392
Rike, 58
Pois de Pandispea-, 161 ! White, 411
Poland, gardens of, 595 j Poplar-trees, propagated
Principles of gardening,
47
aquilina, 379. 393
arg^rea, 3-6, 393
Raleigh, Sir Walter, -<
his widow's letter, i
Po yactis, 363 | by cuttings, 86
Privet, 437
cretica, 392
supposed to have
Polyar thus, 224 Poppy, 248
Propagation nf apples, 139
incisa. 393
brought the ora
proptgation of, 87, 224 1 horn, 248
of carnations, 228
longifolia, 393
tree to England, ic
vulgaris, 224 opium, propagated by
of cherries 176
palmata, 393
Rallus aquaticus, ^28
Polydesmus complana- seed, 83
of China roses 275
quadriaurita, 393
Ramalina fastigia'a. 3
tits, 456 yellow, -\z\
of chrysanthemums, 2*3
rotundifolia, 383
Ramcock, Mr., ad vow
Pulygala Chamaebuxus,
Population of Becding- i of cryptogamic plants,
sagittifolia, 393
of St. Mary's sold to
329
ton, i QI
scaberula, 383, 393
Rammer, 6t
Polymorphina, found i-i
of Wellington, i
of currants, 177
serrulata. 383, 393
Rana temporaria, 510
chalk of the district, 23 Populus acerrifolia, 412
of dahlias. 231
tremula, 386, 393
Ranunculus, 216
1 OLYPI IN THE WATER j ?"?a' *"
AT- »,v riornr , balsamifera, 412
of Datura arborea, 238
of ferns. 88, 406
tricolor, 393
umbrosi, 393
asiati -us, 216
creeping, 344
AT MY GARDEN 447 :- , fastlgata lo4
Hydra commums, 447 monolifera, 410
of geraniums. 236
of Golden pippin. 88
vespertilionis, 386, 393
Pteromalus brassicae, 482
ficaria, 335
water, 339
FuftCa, 447 nigra, 411
of Golden pyrethrum,
Puccinia lychnidearum, Rapeseeci, 94 _
vindis, 447 tremula. 411
238
•^65 R phanus sativus, 97
Polypodiaceae, 388 ; Pork, measly, how occa-
of gooseberries, 179
PuDx irritans, 450 Raspberry, Falstaff F
Polypodium adnascen.e,
401
sioned, 452
Portugal, a garden at Cin-
of heliotropes, 237
of hollyhock. 230
talpae, 450 | 184
Pump, Warner's, 62 Red Antwerp. 184
alpestre, 378, 400
appendiculatum, 400
'ra. 595
laurel, 436
of jargonelle pear, 88 Pumpkins, 1 19
of lupins, 225 | setting flowers of, 101
> ellow Antwerp, 10
Yellow Autumn, 185
Braunii 383 j quince. 167
of melons, 196
Punica Granatum, 204
Raspberries, growth
calcareum, 400 | Portulacas, 246
of moss-roses. 278
Purple beech, 419
184 • • r V
cambricum, 378 j Potas i found in ashes of
of mushrooms, 358
Filbert nut, 197
new varieties of, f
capense, 399 i plants, 50
of nectarine-trees. 172
loosestrife, 335
obtained, 185
Dryopieris, 378, 400
Potatoes. 123
of Noisette rose-trees, Putrid manures avoided,
propagation of, 185
filipes, 401
destroyed by aphides,
276 reasons for, 51
Rats, black, 519
flexile, 378, 400 123, 475
of nut-trees. 197 1 Puttv knife. 63
brown, 519 .
fo'tui.ei, 401 fu gus, 363
of paach-trees. 172
Puzzle monkey-tree, 431 | water, 518
Ghei breghtii, 401 ; propagated by tubers, of pear trees, 155
Heracleum, 401 87 of phloxes, 230
Pyramid aster. 244 j how to destroy, 519
currant-trees, 178 i Raymond de Laik, f.n
hexagonopterum, 383, Fivers' Ash leaf kidney. ofpicotees 228 pear. 163 of, at Beddington. 8
460 ; 12 -\ • of pine-app!es, 207 Pj-renees flowers of. 44 Ray s wagtail, 545
INDEX.
645
[d Antwerp raspberry, ' Rhododendrons, varieties Roman Roads, account of Roses— continued. Rove beetles. 470
184 of, 441 Stane Street and
Damask, varieties of Rowan -me, 41 J
V> racial apple, 144
Rhubarb, 135 Great Ermine Street,
27° Royal fern, 471
•ubl a^e, no
Linns: s, 126
5
de Meaux, 269 medl«r, 154
edar. 425
Victoria, 126
silver spoon found at
Devoniensis. 277 Society. 4.17
urrants, varieties of,
177
Rhus cotinu, 443
Rhynchonella plicatilis, a
Barrow Hedges, 5
tiles, 3
Duke of Edinburgh, 271
I'undee Rambler 278
Rubus arcticus, 41, 205
cazsius, 206
Jirch currant, 178
kind of bivalve shell,
town of Noviomagus,
Edwin Morren, 271
chamsemorus, 205
•Albert nut. 197
2}
situation of, 5
Eliza Boelle, 271
saxati'is, 207, 329
lowering currant, 439
Ribes sanguineum, 439 : Romans, gardens of the,
Fairy, 275
Rudbeckia. 2^1
'uncaring auple, 144
Ribston Pippin apple, 138, S74
FclicitePerpetuelle, 278 Rue, 130
Cnieht's Sweet currant,
145, 148 Romford sewage-grounds,
Frederick Soulie, 278 ! Rumbullion eooseberrv.
178
propagation of, 88 1 452
General MiloraJo -
180
.largaret (early) apple,
M4
Rice, 752
Richard de Tonebrige,
Rondeletia speciosa. 255
Rookeries in Beddington
witsch, 271
Gloire de Dijon. 277
Rumex acetora, no
aquaticus, 344
piders, 17?, 183, 196,
family of, at Beddington,
Park, 541
des Mousseuses, 278
Runners, propagation of
455
7 Rooks 541
Hybrid Bourbon, varie- j plants by, 87
how to prevent, 453, Richard of Cirencester nests of, 541
ties of, 270 Russ, flowering, 336
455 cited, 5 Roots, culinary, 120
China, varieties of. 270 Russia, cardens of 555
Varrington gooseberry, Ricinus connmunis, 246 division of. 87
Perpetual, varieties of,
Russian violet, 222
180
Riddle.'down, 3 fossilized of plants, functions of. 270, 273
Rust, 366
v >rm, 448
fish found af, r>3
48. .
He de Bourbon, varie-
Ruta graveolens, no
klbreasis, 550
Ringed snaVe, 509
position of, 49
ties of. 275
jdbre st's pin-cushion,
Ri i Janeiro, a garden at.
propagation of plants
John Hopper, 272
'4
for growth of cochineal,
by, 86
Lady of the Lake, 275
kip >le. Leaser, 542
595
Rosa alba, varieties of,
La France, 271
S.
id win .r, 550
led, 339
: mmon, 332
River Bourne, account of,
Colne, how formed, 28
270 _
rubiginosa. 440
Rosaries, description of,
Lamirque. 275
a fleurs j lunes, 275
Lanei. 278
Siccoi nova camellia, 350
Sacr d groves, 574
v^rbler, 547
Lea, how formed, 28
41, 268
Louise Margottin, 275
Sarid!e-graftiog, 93
nest of, 547
limpet, 493
one by the side of the
Macirtney, 276
S g-, 125
ieds, English 44
Wandle, analysis of, as
Lake, and by Fern
Madame Barriot, 271
Sag ttma sagittifolia, 343
Kulus cristatus, 546
1 gate san 1, 20
it flows through my
Garden, 30
Glen, 39. 41
Rose. Mrs. Bosanquet,
H rdy. 270
Legras St. Germains,
SALAD PLANTS: —
American c ess 9*
line Blanche rofe, 278
a trout-stream, its 275
270
Australian cre>s 94
linette Ananas apple,
course, 26 Mr. P., 443
Plantier, 270
beet-roof varieties of
142 147
mean temperature of, i Rose aphis 473
Zoutman, 270
1 02
lu Canada apple, 147,
36
chafer, 466
Marie Baumann, 271
brook ime, 98
148
sewage of Croydon
saw fly. 463
de Blois, 278
burnet, 98
Claude Violette plum,
sent into it, 31 Ro-emary. 128
Marquise de Morte -
ce'eraic, 100
168 | Rivers, Messrs., 71, 84,
faune Hative apple, 144 91, 155, 172, 197, 200,
R -ses, blight of. 365
fungus of, 365
mart. 271
Marshal Niel. 277
ce ery, varieties of, 99
chicory, varieties of, 96
le \ladeiraapple. 142 1 201
Petite Grise apple, 142 Rivers' Ash-leaf kidney
grown as pyramids, 273
growth of, 268
Miss Gray, 275
Moss, varieties of, 277
corn saUd, or Laino s
Lettuce, 98
/a i Moris apple, 149
potato, 123
new varieties of,how ob-
Mrs. Bosanquet, 475
cucumber varieties of
(nnie, Mrs., 376
Early Favourite plum,
t -ined, 272
Noi-ette, var.eties of,
TOO
JPTILES IN MY GARDEN,
509 : —
168
Prolific plum, 169
Seedling Eliza straw-
propagation of the
t'hina, 275
of the Hybrid Per-
275
Paul Ricint. 270
Persim Yellow, 260
curled cress, 94
dandelion lea* es, 98
endive, v«rieties of, q5
iizaru, 51*
berry. 183
petua's, 272
Prince Humbe t. 271
gherkin, TOI
|rog, 510
•awksbill turtle, 512
Robert de Watevile, fa-
mily of, at Bedaington, 7
of the Moss 278
of N Msettes, 276
Princess Louise Vic-
toria. 272
lettuce, v rieties of, 95
mustard, 93
land tortoise, 511
Robertson, Mr. H. R.,
of Rose de Meaux,
Princesse de Lamballe,
nasturtium, 99
ringed snake, 509
flow worm, 509
38, 40, 73
Robin. 5-,o
Rnbinia Pseud-acacia, 424
26)
of the Scotch, 269
pruning of, 274
270
Provence. 270
Reine Blanche 278
radis i, va ie.ies of, 97
rape-seed 94
shamrock, 98
'oa_i, 510
Robinson. Mr., 97
ROSFS '.
Rev. H. H. Dombrain,
watercress, varieties of,
npcr, 509
Rocca onion, 117
275
vater tortoise, 511
Rochester Cluster dam-! Acidilie, 27^
Reve d'Or, 275
9-j
tseda odorata, 242
son, 170
Alfred Gol imh, 271
Rosa alb •, varieties of.
Sil;sburia adiantifolia,
Iticulata flore-pleno
Rock dove, 533
Amaiis, 278
270
4*J
imellla, 250
Rod. 62
Aurore du Matin 271
Rose de Meaux, 269
Sa'-x alba, 415
lv. H. H. Dombrain ; Roges, family of. at Bed-
Austrian Briars, 269
Scotch, 269
ba >yioinca, 416
Ke, 275
dington, 8
Banksian, 276
Solfaterre, 275
herncea, 318
WC d'( )r rose, 275
Koi d'Hollande azalea,
Ban>n de Wassenier,
Souvenir deM Jmaison,
K^rksii, 416
lyn <l<Js, Mr., 495
251
27*
2/5
piirpurea, 416
leum, 135
Roller, 62
Baronne de Noumont.
Tea, 276
triindrj, 416
kododendron, or Alpine
Rollison's Telegraph cu-
'"75
Triomphe de Rennes,
Sa'mo fari j, 494
rose, 318
cumber, IOO
Baroness Adolphe de
275
Sa m >n- rout, br^d ia rhe
I'boreum, 442
Roman coins, 3. 4
Rothschild, 271
Unique de Provence,
Wandie, ai.d plao d
lilandyanum, 441
eatable snail, 492
rilairii, 270
278
in ih^ Midway, by
Brayanum, 441
glass, f agments of. 5
Cabbage, 270
Vicotntesse de Gazes,
myself, 503
Broughtonianum, 441
house at Beddington,
Catherine Guillot, 275
276
Si'sily 122
Jutawbiense, 441, 442
description of, 2
Celine Forestier, 275
Wells's White 278
Silvia < ffioinilis, 125
:oncessum, 441
part, of a game found at
Centifolia rosea, ^71
White Bath, 278
patens, 237
errugineum, 318, 442
Beddington, 4
Char es Lawson. 970
Xavier Olibo, 271
^alviis, 237
'jrand Arab, 441
pottery found at Bed-
Charles Lef. bvre. 271
Sam \oung apple, 149
John Watcrer, 441
Joseph Whitworth, 441
dington, 3
remains at Barrow
Chenedolle. 270
China, varieties of,. 275
R smarinus omcinalis,
128
bambucus, 200
race m >s \, 206
Madame Miolan Car-
valho, 44I
Hedges, Carshalton,
5
Climbing Devo.iiensis.
277
Rotalia Becrarii, 22
Rotaline series, numerous
Sam phi e, 127
Sand, beds o», at my gar-
Michael Waterer, 441
at Beddington, 2
Cloth of Gold. 275 forms ef, found in chalk ; den, 20. 21
Minnie. 441
at Wallingt»n, 5
CLvis. 271 of our district, 22 Reigaf, 20
Mrs. John Glutton, 441
at Walton - on - the -
Comtesse de Murenais Rotatoria, 447 S^nd-martm, 534, 553
ichrolencum, 441 Heath, 5 278 Ronnd-seedeJ spinach, San piper 531. 553
•cnrkt, 441 1 at Woodcote, 5 i Coupe d'Hebo, 270 109 • common, 531
646
INDEX.
Sandpiptr, grt en, 531 Screveton's Golden Pip- Shells, bivalve, ft und in a Siagontherium tenue, 446 SNAILS OF THE GARH
S ponaria calabrica, pr>' pin apple, 147 . cutting near my gar- Siberian Bitter-sweet 491 : —
pagited by ±e*d, £3 Screwdriver, 63 den. 23 apple, 153
Sapro'egne*, 369 Srrofula-ia nodosa, 336 | found >n making the crab-tree, 434
Bithinia tentacu
Sarcina ventriculi, 368 Scjthc, 60 the Tham-s Tunnel! crabs, 152
493
Sarcoptes S abiei, 453 Sea-kde, 114 Railroad, 26 fu"gus of, 367
Satur. ia hortensis, 129 Se^ge warbler, 546, 553 found in PapT Lane,' Harvey ai pie, 133
montana, 129 Sedum anglicum, 310 Carshalton, 26 Silene acaulis, 320
ventricosa, 493
common amber, 492
Cyclas cornea, 493
Savory, summer, 129
fabaria, 311 Shepherd's crowns found alpestris, 320
Dreisseni polyiuor
winter, 129
Sieboldi', 311
on the Downs north of Silex, law of deposit of, on
493
garden, 491
Saw, cross-cut, 59
pruning, 59
Saw-flies, 463
de -cription of, 43
Serums, 310
Se d. propagation of
my garden, 23
purse, fungus of, 366
Shrppey, Mr. 421
"Sherry," characteristic
ter, 25
Silica, 24
Silver f rns, 402
Girdled Shell, 493
Helix aspersa, 491
cantiana, 492
Saxi"ola cenanthe, 549
rubetra, 549
p'ants by, 83 feature of the dog, 513 fir, 428
Sel-gine liapodum, 407 Short-tailtd campagnol. Sims Mr., 26
concmna. 492
ericetorum, 494
rubicola, 549
brasiiiense, 407
520 1 Sinapis alba. 93
sc ia, 494
Saxifraga Aizoon, 310
cassia, 407
Shovel, 57 ! Sion House cucumber,
aspera, 310
arborea, 407
Shrew-mouse, common, 101 ^^.^l4?!.
bry ides, 310
circinahs 408
520 Siphonopvora pisi, 476
puisne i.i, 4^4
casspiio-a, 310
d?nsa, 407
w ,te-, 520 ; S.r Charles Napier straw- r!"r".T""'.wl
Cotyledon, var. pyra-
mydali«, 309
denticulata, 407
Lvall'i. 407
Shrimp, fresh-water, 449 ' berrv, 18-;
Sir i-d ward Dymock held
\u^aia. 494
Horny Coil Shell, 4
Geum 309
Schottii, 407
SHRUBS, 436 :— ]an s at Wallmgto",
Limnaei, 492
globifera, 310
gran'ila'a, tingle and
jetpen.-, 407
stoloni era, 407
Allspice, 442 16
Alpine ros-, 442 Sir Francis Carew re-
Stagnalis, 492
double, 309
Hirculus, 310
hypnoides, 310
umb osa, 407
Wiildenovii 408
S :la. inellas, 407
Andr .meda specio-a, hn It Manor House, 9
443 SK H. D.vy, 494
.A ucuba japonic^, 437 Sr Hanystrawoerry, 183
Neat, 492
Planorbis carinatus
complanatus, 493
intac'a minor, 309
Semaphore plant. 265
Azalea pontica, 442
Sir Henry James. 28
conforms, 493
Juniperina, 310 S miramis, gardens
viscosa, 442
Geological Survey, ^ vortex" 493 ^
oppositifolia, 308 f. rmed bv her, 567
pe- tinata, 310 Semp>rvivum an malum,
Saxifrage garden, 305, 312
aza ea«, 441
vari t es of. 442
bay-trees, 436
Sir H^hpiat^s account | Soma'S,^
of keeping back cherries, 1 ,,.„
3C7
de cription of, 43
Saxifrages, 308
ara,hnoideum,3i2 Berhens. 439 , xo | ZoniteTc'rys alU^
arboreum, 312 dulci-, 439 1 &ir James Harrington, ]llr;(in. „„,
jrenarium. 312 Black nut, 438 held lands at Wailington,
Saxon silver penny, found
Boliii, 312 Bog myrtle, 443 ! 16
Snakes, none in my
in Roman house, 3
californicum, 311 box. 438 S.r J. Paxton strawberry,
den, 509
Scab csa atro-purpureus
ci'i^re, 312
Daphne Mezerium, 439 183
Snapdragons, 42, 228
245.
g'obife um, 312
Deutzia grac'lis. 439 ^ir J. Tyler, 202
Alpine, 322, 41
Scabious, 245
hittum, 312 eglantine, or sweet- ! Sir Nicho'as Carew, first
Snipe, common, 530
S -aeva balteata, 488
mortanum. 311
briar, 440 ow er of Beddington, 9
Jack, 531
pyrastri, 488
Pitt n% 312
F.ugenia ug"', 440 Sir Nicholas '1 hrockinor-
summer, 531, 553
ribe ii, 488
repens, 312
Guelder r se, 440 I ton, inherits the lands at
Snowberry, 437
Scale fern, 398
sobol fe um, 312
holly 438 j Beddington, 10
vnowdrop,Great Criir
Scarlet crab, 152
spin^snm, 312
Illicium rcl'giosum, 441 j Sir W. Willoughby, held 1 314
lily, 220
t-»b''laeforn e, 312
Japan quince, 439 i lands at Beddington, 8 1 Snowdrop-tree, 427
Konpa-eil apple, 138,
tectorum, 311
Kalm a latifol a, 442 Sir VV'a'ter Ralrigh, said i Snowdrops, 210
»47
Wulfeiri, 312
kalnras, 441, 442 i to have brought orange-
^nowfl tke, Spring, 2
rh dode dron, 441
Sempervivum garden, 305
l^urel, 436 ! trees to PeHdington, 10 j Summer, 215
runner bean, 108
Sempcwivums, 41, 311
lain ustinus, 437 Sir W. J. Hooker, 388 Snow's Muscat 1
sweet pea, 241
Scentless clen atis, or
Sequoia, 430
Sewage, manrer of dis-
lilacs, 438 ! S:redon pisciformis, 512
loqu^t. 440 i Sirt x gigas, 464
burgh vine, i83
White broccoli, n<
T'avellei's J«.y, 282
pos-ng of it by Crov-
Mahonia aquifolium, juv ncus, 463 | Snowy Me pilus, 423
Sc izoneura lai.uginosa,
don Board of Health,
439
Sittus e ropaea, 537 ! Society, Botanic,
476
32
meadow-sweet, 440
Situation 01 my garde", i
251, 252, 265, 375
Scilla bifolia, 314
grounds, Fomf rd, 452
mock orange, 438
Ske'et >ns, Anglo-Saxon.
Horticultural, 142,
nutans, 314
of C^o\ don, anal} sib
myrtle, 443
discovered on Irrigation
179, 183, 18^, 190,
sibirica, 313
°f» 33
Periwinkles, or Vincas,
fields. 6
203, 2 > 3, 2 '9, 229,
Scil'as 313
kiled the trout in the
443
Skimmia japoni' a. 441
367» 375 383» 478
Scilly Is'ands, a garden
Wandle, 495
Philadelphus mexica-
Styhrts, S44 Linnaean, 447
in the, 595
where it must ulti- nus, 439
S'edge-himmer, 63 Royal, 447
Scissor;-, grape, 60
mately be carried to, phillyreas, 437
Slow-worm, 509
Soils in my garden, 4
Sciu'iis vulgaris, 516
33
Pomegranate, 440
Slutf. black, 491
some require niirc
Sc'avon;an grel e, 528
on the Bedding' "n
Portugal laurel, 436
milVy. 591
ized matter to
S'olopax gallinago, -30
sewage - grounds, it>
S rivet, 437
Slugs, 491
added, 51
rust cola, 530
amount, 33
ed Flowering currant,
e:gs of. 491
used for camellia'
S oloptndrium, 43. 399
sent by Croydon Boarrl
439 of the jrarJen 491
azalea>at Fiorenc
rhizopr.jj um. 399
< f Health into Wan-
Rhododendron, varieties I Sma'l's Golden Pippm
Solanum anthropopl
TU gare, 376
die, 31
of, 441 apple. 149
ruin, 133
Scolopendriums, 43. 371,
Shade sometimes usefu
Rhododei.dron arbo- Smee, Mr. Alfred Hutch-
dulcamara, 342
399
in the growth of plai ts.
reum, 442
i^on, 25, 227
esculentum, 124
Sc« lytus, 467
53' 54
Catawbiense, 441,
Smee, Mr. F.. 553
tuberosum, 123
de-itructor, 467
Shaker?, garden of the,
442
Smee or vmew duck, 526
Soldanella alpina, 323
Scorzonera, 122
595
ferrugmeum, 442
Smith, Dr., 91
Solfaterre rose. 275
hi^panica, 122
Shallots, 118
Scarlet, 441
S97 395
Solidago cambrica 3
So tch elm, 410
p opagated bybu'bs. 87
Skimmia j ipo iica, 441
Smith. Mr., of Kew, 392,
Somner. on the sit
fir. 427
Shamrock. 98, 316
snowberry, 437
3Q^
Noviomasus, 5
laburnum, 422
Shark, tooth of a kind of.
spiraeas, 440
Smith, C. Roach, 170
Song thrush. 550
pine, 427
23
St. John's Wort, 440
Smith, M r. , 505
Songs of birds, 553
rosf, 269
Shears, garden, 59
Venetian sumach, 443
Sm'th. Mr. Worthington.
Sorex araneus, 520
Scotophilus murinus, 517
for grass-edgings, 60
Vinca maj r, 443
359- 36l< 362. 367. 397
fodiens. 520
roct'ila, 517
pmnine, SQ
Yellow azalea, 442
Smiie^ler gooseberry, 180
Sorrel, no
Scrspers. Celtic, found at Shells found at Lewis-
Aew, 438 Snails, eggs of, 491 "
South Essex water-w
Btddirgtor, 2 1 ham, 26 yuccas, 443 ! in the river, 492 29
INDEX.
647
!uth Minns, chalk ap- Stella azalea, 251
it surface. 21
luvenir de Malmaison
rose
Stellaria med'a, propaga-
ted by seed, 83
, 275 Stephanotis floribunda,
ir de Prince Albert 289
brook into Forest of
Ferns, 43
in Fern Glen, 39
?alea. 251
!w-thistle, 344
Jwerby, Mr., 341
Jade, best kind of, 56
lain, gardens of, 594
l:inish chestnuts 434
inion, 117
Jarrow, hedge, 549
louse. 543
mite, 453
tree. 543
(arrow- ha wV. 553
lawn of gold-fish, 509
Jawning of trout, 496
low performed. 496
lears and Jackson,
lessrs.. of Sheffield, 56 ! Stoat, 521
,'ecinl flower-garden, 268 Stock dove, 531
ieedweils, 319, 337 I Stocks, 242, 247
,'hrerotheca pannosa, 365 j Stoneberry, 329, 444
lhagnum acutifolium, j growth of, 207
52 j Stonechats, ^49
liiler, Angelina labyrin- Stonecrop, 310
theca, 455
:<>ss uner, 455
minting 455
,-ed, 183, 196, 453, 455
; or Acarus. 179
how to prevent, 453
Aiders. 45 s
:iloca;a, 368
Jinaceous vegetals, 109 !
>inach. 109
beet, 109
fungus of, 363
New Zealand, 109
j>ric- ly-seeded, 109
round seeded, 109
jinacia oleracea, 109
>indle-tree, 426
>ira;a callosa, 440
ulmaria. 337, 440
<ir*-s, 337, 440
•irir-level, 63
|>ondylus spinosus. 24
Conges, fresh-water, in
my garden, 448
silicified, 24
Jongilla fluviatilis, 449
>oon. Roman, 5
>ores, propagation of
lush rooms by, 91
>»tte I fly-catcher, 552
orchid.
of
Strawberries — continued. Sweetwater vine. 186
Prince of Wales, 183 Sw ft, 534. 553
Princess Alice Maud, Switzerland, gardens of,
•?3 595
Princess of Wales. 183 Sycamore, 420
Rivers' Seedling Eliza, Sykehouse Russet apple,
Stephens, Messrs.,
Gloucester, 152 183 {49
Stepping-stones across the ' Sir Charles Napier, 183 Sykes, Colonel, i
Sir Harry, 183
Sir J. Paxton. 183
Victoria, 183
Wonderful, 183
Sternbergia lutea, 316
Sticklebacks, =08
nests, curious construe- Strawberry plants, cells
tion of, 508
Stigmaphyllon ciliatum,
290
Stillingfleet, on the site of
Noviomagus, 5
Stipa pinnata, 332
Stirling Castle apple, 151
common yellow, 310
Stone pine, 427
Storing of pears, 166
Storyii camellia, 250
Stove plants, growth of,
261
STOVE PLANTS : —
Achimenes, 264
Alocasia m^tallica. 263
Anajctochilus argen- | Suckers, propagation
tens. 262 I plants by, 85
begonias, 262 ; Sugar, beet-root, 102
caladiums, 264 j cane, 252
Cape jasmine, 265 ' maple, 420
52
of, 184
diseases of, 183
forcing of, 181
growth of, 181
guano injurious t
new varieties, how ob-
tained. 181
propagation of 87, 181
Strix flammsa, 553
j Struthiopteris, 372. 384
| germanica, 384, 389
j penn^ylvanica. 384
[Stuart, W.,
called Old
veterinarian
Sylvia arundinacea, 54
hor ensis. 548
locustell i. 546
Phragmites, 546
sylvicola, 548
trochi'us, 548
Symphorioarpus rac<
moMis. 437 .
Syringe, 61
Syrii.gia vu'garis, 438
P'rsica. 438
Syrphidae, 488
T.
i Tabor, Mr. . 432
I Tacsonia Bucanni, 288
Van Volximi, 288
commonly | Taenia mediocanellata,
Scjtt the! 451
15 I Tagetes erecta, 241
Student Selected parsnip. Talbot. on the site of No-
121 j _yiomogus, 5
Stukeley, on the site of
Noviomagus, 5
Sturmer Pippin apple, 148
Sturnus vulgaris, 541
Stylonichia, 446
S >ccinea or Helix putris,
492
c-7._i «•__ ./•
Tape, measuring, 63
Tapeworm, armed, 452
beef, 451
hydatid, 452
unarmed. 451
Tapeworms, fecundity of,
of
Taraxacum Dens Leonis,
98
larragon, 129
^~r^ ,. ^, *.^-j : — , — , T. — fungus, 356
climbing begonia, 262 I Sulphur, employed to de- j Tartarian lamb.
crotons, 263
Cuscut i reflexa, 266
( ycarls, 265
Desmidium gyrans. 265
Eucharis amazonica,264
gloxinias 263
marantas, 262
palms, 265
stroy fungus, 364
used to keep fru t. 368
Sumach, Venetian, 443
39°
Taxus baccata, 424
fasMgiata, 424
Tea plant, 252
Summer Golden Pippin | Tea-roses, 276
apple, 149
savory. 129
snipe. 531, 553
.•flake. 2i'
pancratiums. 263
Poini-.ettia
266
snownake. 215
j Summer-house, garden,
pulcherrima, | its site, 42
near Croquet-ground, 44
one by Indoor Fernery,
42
Snowflake, 214
'routing broccoli, 114
iruce fir, 428
)ud, S7
[iiirrels, 516
. Jean walnut, 198
. J"hn's wrrt, 440
Sameur apple, 149
ag-beetle, 465
ag-horn f» rns. 403
andish, Mr. , on site of
ta> e Street, 5
anJish's Curonelle vine,
88
ane Street, account of, j
semaphore plant, 265
Torenia asiatica 261
Tradescantia discolor, : Sunflower, giant, 242
261 • Surinella biscriata. 350
:rnci, 317 I variegated pine, 262
pale orchid. 293
rrg Kibston apple. 149 STRAWBERRIES, 181 :-
alpine, varieties of,'i8i,
184
Amateur 183
B!ack Prince, 182
British Queen, 183
Carolina superba, 183
C'omte de Paris, 183
Crimson Queen, 183
Dr. Hogg, 183
Dundas, 183
E'eanor. 183
Elton. 183
Empress Eugeni£. 183
Filbert Pine, 183
Frogmore 183
Hautbois, 18
propagated by cuttings,
86
! Teal, 526
I Tegetmeier. Mr., 533
j Temperature of water is-
su ng from cracks in
the chalk, 22
mean, of the Wandle,
36
Tench introduced into the
Wandle by myself, 509
Survey, Geological, a sec- ' Tenthredo rosarum, 463
tion of. given 21 | Tephritis onopordims, 489
Sutton chalk-pit, descrip- ! Ttrebratula semiglobosa,
tion of, 21
railroad, the, 23
fossilized fish found
in cutting of. 23
Button's .Ringleader pea,
103
Swallows, 534, 553
migration of, 536
nests of, 534
Swan common, 523
hooper, 523
Swannery in
523
anhope, Michael, keep-
r of Manor House, 8
anhopea orchid, 300
aphylinus (Ocypus)
!eus, 470
arlings, 541
migration of, 541
atice latifolia, 332
K*-en's Seedlings, 181,
182
Late Pine, 183
May Queen, 182
Myatt's Pine, 183
Nimiod, 183
Oscar, 183
President, 183
Sw*ns, fattened for eat- j
ing, 524
Sweet Sultan. 245
i 23
1 1 erry, Mr., 52, 255, 299,
300, 303
i Tertiary teds, Lower, ac-
I count of, 26
Tetragonia expansa, 109
Tetraspora lubrica. 348
Texiularia, found in chalk
of the district, 23
Thalictrum minus, 321
Thalictrums, 321
my garden, i Thea Bohea, 253
Thermometer, black bulb,
Sweet Will am. 248
65
dry bulb, 65
maximum, 64
minimum. 64
wet bulb, 65
fungus of, 366
propagated by seed, 83 Thermometers, 64
Sweel-briar, 440 ' Thisile, 344
Sweet-peas. 233
scarl t, 241
Swcet-s;enled vernal
grass, 332
sow, 344
Thompson, Mr., 131, 148,
15^
P«-ar, 158
Thompson's lectures on
i inflammation, 360
Thorn, Glastonbury, 423
I double pink, 423
hawthorn, 423
scarlet, 425
Thorn hedges, how to
| plant them, 423
Thorns. 423
Thornthwaite, Mr., 65,
MrV, 350
Threadworm, 452
Thrift, Alpine, 322
; Thrifts, 322
! Thrips, 478
Throckmorlon, Sir Nicho-
las, takes the name of
Carew, 10
Thrushes, missel, 550
song, 550
songs of, 554
nests of, 551
Thunbergia alata, 290
aurantiaca, 290
fragrans. 290
laurifo ia, 290
i Thunbergias, 290
' Thuja, 434
Thymallus vulgaris, 503
Thyme, 125
lemon, 125
orange, 125
Thynius citriodorus, 125
vulgaris, 125
Tiger-flower, 220
Tigridia pavonia, 223
Tillia europaea, 413
i Tipulae, 488
| ol racea, 488
| paludosi, 488
, Tinea vulgaris. 509
! Tinnunculus falco, 553
j Titanos hypo!eucus, ;,_,!
j Ochropus, 531
j Tit, Blue, 545
Cole, 546
Greater, 546
Long-tailed, 546
Marsh, 546
Ticmjce, 545
load, 510
Tobacco, 128
i used for killing insects,
479
Todea, 403
i africana, 386, 403
barbara, 403
Fraseri, 404
hymenophylloides, 403
! pellucida, 372, 385
Miperba, 385, 404
| Token, found at Bedding-
j ton, 18
| Tomatoes, 133
Tonebrigp, family of, at
Hcddington, 7
Tonka Bean, 332
Tools, different kinds used
at the garden, 56
for cutting%rass, 57
for laying drain-pipes,
57
Torenia asiatica. 261
Tortoise, land, 511
water, 511
Tortoiseshell butterfly,
483
Tortnx carpocapsa pomo-
nana, 485
pruniana, 486
Tortula muralis, 353
Torula cerevisiae, 355
Tottenham Park Muscat
vine, 191
Townsend, Mr., 431
648
INDEX.
Tradescantia discolor, 261 : Trees, continued. Trichomanes radicans, 391 ) Turnip, long. 120 ! Vegetals — continued.
Tragopogon porrifolius, \ horse-che-tnut, 412
reniforme, 391
Orange jeily. 120 i celeraic, 100
122
Irish \ ew, 424
speciosum, 375, 376,
White Stone, 120 celerv. 99
Tramites gibbosa, 356
Trap, eel, where situated.
Japan Variegated ma-
ple, 420
39'
Tricopilia tortilis orchid.
Turnip flea, 469
fly. 469
chervil, 121
chicory. fVS
44
juniper. 425
302
radishes, varieties of, 97 Chinese yam, 122
Traveller's Joy, 282
laburnum. 421
Tricoptera, 480
Turnips. 120 j chives, 118
Tree snowdrop, 427
var. Waterer's. 422
Trillium g> andiflo-um, 319 1 Turile-dove, 5^1
cucumbers. I-JQ
violets, 222
larch, 432
Trilochulma tricarinata, Turtle, hswksbill, ^12
culinary roots and
Trees, account of one
Lemon-scented ver-
22
Twilled aster. 244
b"rs, 120
struck r>y lightninn^is
at Beddington, extra-
bena, 423
lime, 413
Trinidad pine-apple, 207
Triomphe de Rennes rose,
Tyler. Mr. Charles, 24
Sir James 202
curled cress, 04
Dandelions, 98
ordinary MZC of, 13
linden. 413
27.S
Tyndall, Professor, 29
egg plant, 123
cedar, curious pro-
Lombaruy poplars 410, j Trifeltria uniflora, 317
T) rogiyphus destructor,
Garden, 92
perties of its wood,
435
Tritoma Uvaria, 221
453
garlic, 118
429
magnolias, 426
Tritonia aurea, 221
farinas, 453
gherkins. 102
clipping of, 425
maidenhair, 423
Troglodytes vulgaris, 538
Jerusalem articho
practised by the
maple. 420
Trollius europaeus, 329
121
Romans, 577
May, 423
Tropaeolum canariense,
U.
kale, vareties 0*", i
in grounds of Walling-
Mock plane-tree, 420
285
Kohl rabi, 112
ton House, 45
mountain ash, 417
edulis, 285
Ulmus montana, 410
leeks, varieties of,
oaks, 414
Jarrattii, 285
Ulner's Reinette apple,
Leguminous Hants
TKEES, 409: —
palms, 427
speciosum, 285
149
lettuces, variet es o
abele, 411
Abies Douglasii, 427
peach, 436
pear, 434
Tropaeolums, 99, 285
Tropidonotus matrix, 509
Um'ones of shields,
Anglo-Saxon, 7
mustard, 93
nasturtium. 99
nobilis, 428
pectinata, 428
Pt-ndulous beech, 419
Picea nobilis, 428
Trout, 494
artificial flies used for
Unarmed taue \vorm, 451
Unique de Provence rose,
onions, varieties of
Oxalis crenata, 121
Pinsapo, 427
pectinata, 428
catching them, 501 27%
parsnips, variet es
acacia, 424
pines, 427
condition of the water i Uredo filicum, 367
121
Ailanthus glandulosa,
Pinus insignis, 427
to catch them, 501
Urns, Anglo-Saxon, found
peas, varieties of, T
421
Pinaster, 427
food of, 495, 496
on Irrig-tion grounds, 6
potato, varieties of,
alder, 417
almond, 435
plane, 421
Platanus occidentalis,
habits of, 496
how to be fed when first
Uvedale, Dr., 428
Uvedale s St. Germain
pumpkin', 119
radish, 97
American maple, 420
421
hatched, 499
pear, 156
rape seed, 94
oak, 414
orientals, 421
in the Wandle, measure-
Salad Plants, 92
weeping willow, 416
Primus sinensis, 426
ments of, 495
V.
salsify, 122
Arbor-Vitas or Thuja,
tnloba, 426
of the Wandle of world-
savoy, rri
Arbutus unedo, 422
Purple beech, 419
puzzle m nkey, 431
wide repute, 495 Vaccinium myrtillus, 206
on feeding them artifi- Vaginicola, 446
scarlet runners. var
of, 1 08
ash, 417
Red cedar, 425
cially. 500
Val, Guy de la, came in
scorzonera, 122
aspen, 411
horse-chestnuts, 413
ova of, 497
possession of lands at seaV?le. 114
Balsam poplar. 412
rowan, 418 . how kept previous to
Wallington, 16 shallots. 118
beech, 418
Salix Ke>ksii. 416 being hatched, 4QQ
ValenanelU ohtom, 98 shamrock. 98
betula alba, 420
purpurea. 416
period for their spawn-
V alley of Ferns its site ! sorrel, varieties of,
alba pendula, 420
triaiidra. 416
ing in the Wandl-', 495
and description, 42. 372 Spinace..u<, 109
birch, 419
Black Italian poplar,
Scarlet thorn, 422
Scotch elms, 410
spawning of, how per-
formed, 496
Valhsnena spir-ilis, 260 spinach, varieties o
Vallota purpurea, 256 | turnips, 120
410
Scotch fir, 427
when in season in the
Valtevaredo camellia, 250 j water-cress, 92
Black poplar, 411
laburnum, 422
Wandle. 500
Valvata piscinalis, 493 veg- tal marrows,*
box, 425
pines, 427
young, time for turning
Van Thol tulips, 217 flowers of, 101
Catalpa, 426
Sequoia, 430
them into the streams, Vandalis, name given by j varieties of, 119
cedars, 428
Siberian crab-tree, 434
.on Pope to the Wan-He, 26 i
of Lebanon, 428
Silver fir, 428 '•• Trowel, 60 t Vaiida tricolor o<chid, 297 Vegetation, entozoao
Cedrus atlantica, 428
Single Scarlet haw- : fern. 60
Vandas, orchids, varieties Veitch, Messrs., 249,
Deodara, 428, 429
thorn, 423 Truffle-hunting. 361
of, 297 \ 304, 39=;. 441, 442
Libani, 428, 429
snowdrop. 427 \ Truffles, where found, < Vanellus cnstatus, s3i i Veitch's Late cauliflc
Chamaeiopsexcelsa, 427
Chinese Arbor-Vita;,
434
Snowy Mtspilus, 427 561
Spanish chestnut, 434 Tryphiena pronuba. 486
Spindle, 426 Tuber aestivum. 361
Vanilla orchid, 303 113
aromati a orchid, 303 Perfection pea. 10"
Variegated kale, 113 i Venetian sumach, 44
Copper beech, 419
cork, 414
Spruce fir, 428 j Tubercularia vulgaris, 356
Stone pine, 427 j Tuberose, 221
pine, 262
Vegetals attacked by
Ventilation of glass-h
76
Cryptomeria japonica,
Sugar maple, 420
Tubers. 120
aphis, 123 of melon-pit, 77
Cupressus funebris, 433
Lawsoniana, 433
Sycamore, 423
thorns, 423
tulip. 426
propagation of plants
by 87
Tufted duck, 526
by a fungus, 123 of orchard-house,
sometimes dangerous if Ventriculites radiatn
waiered with a solu- '. Venus's Fly-trap 2^
Cut-leaf birch, 420
Turkey oak. 415
Ti' lip-tree, 426
tion of putrid matter.
Looking-glass, 326
cypress, 433
walnut, 434
Tulipa Gesneriana, 217
51
Verbena, 237
Deciduous, 433
Double Pink hawthorn,
Weeping ash, 417
elms, 410
Tulipo-mania, 217
Tulips. 217
VEGETALS : —
Lemon-scented, 42
new varieties, hov
423
elderbetrf , 434
poplar, 412
willow, 416
Parrot. 217
VanThol. 217
Alliaceous p'ants, 116
American cress, 94
tained, 237
propagation of. 23?
elm?, 410
Wellingtonia gigantea,
red and yellow, wild,
artichokes, 116
Veronica amoena, 315
English elms, 410
43°
316
asp ragus, 114
aphylla, 319
laburnum, 422
White poplars, 411
Tunbridge fern, 372
Australian cress. 94
Heccabunga. 98, 3
evergreen oaks, 414
White willow. 415
Turdus lliaca, 550
beans, varieties of, 106
Candida. 319
Father of the Fo est,
wild cherry, 434
merula, 550
beets, 102
Chamasdrys, 319 3
dimensions of, 431
willow, 415
musicus. 550
broccoli, varieties of, 113
maritima 319
firs, 427
yew, 424
pilaris, 550
brooklime. 98
nummularia, 319
Forest, 409
viscivorus, 550
Brussels sprouts, in
repens, 319
Fruit, 138-209
George Washington,
Trentham Black vine, 187
Trichinia spirals, 451
Turkey, gardens of. 594
Turner, Mr., of Slough,
burnet. 98
cabbages, varieties of,
rup^stre, 319
saxatilis, 319
dimensions of, 431
Trichocera hiemalis, 489
170
no
spicata. 319
Glastonhury thorn, 423
Trichomanes adiantum, • Turner's Gem melon, 196
cardoons, 116
Teucrium, 319
hawthorn, 423
41
Turnip, American Strap carrots, varieties of, 120
virginica 319
holly, 425
Luschnathianum, 391
Leaf. 120 cauliflowers, varieties Vespa crabro. 462
hornbeam, 424
pyxidiferum, 391 i black-skinned, 120 of, 113 1 vulgaie, 460
INDJ'.X.
649
iburmim Tinus, 437
opulus, var. sterile, 440
icar of Winkfield pear
Violets propagation of, W'arblers — coutiniifil.
223 Reed, nests of, 547
, Viper, 509 songs of, 553
Wheelbarrow, 59 Wild Flowers— continued.
Whimbrel, 531 Ranunculus ficaria, 335
Whmchat, 549 r^H ,™
icia Cracca, 329
icoiruesse de Cazes rose
•76
Virginian creeper, 281 Sedge, 546, 553
stock, 240 Wood, 548
! Viscocephala, 442 Ward's cases, their use, 75
\ Visit of Queen Elizabeth Warming of glass-houses,
Whitby lily, 256
White Bath rose, 278
butterfly caterpillar,
482
-—~t ooy
Rumex aquaticus, 344
sow-thistle, 344
speedwell, 337
Veronica Beccabunga,
iotoria apple, 149
• to Beddington, 10
i 78,82
currants, varieties of,
337
peach, 173
Vole, water, 518
Washington Plum, i o
177
water-dock 344
rhubarb, 136
Vorticella, 446
Wasp, common. 460
Dutch currant, 178
water-grass, 339
strawberry, 183
iew of Beddington Park
Wasps' nests, curiously
formed, 461
elderberry, 206
Filbert nut, 197
ranunculus, 339
soldier, 340
Vom the entrance to In
loor Fernery, 42
W.
Wasps, how destroyed,
460
Frontignan vine, 188
Ischia rig, 200
white water-lily, 336
wild hop, 342
'inca major, 443
incas, 443
ine Scale insect, 4,78
Waddon, a branch of the
. Wandle rises at, 26
Wagtail, (irey-bearded,
stings of, how cured, 461
Water-beetles, 470
Water-cress, 92
bed site of 44
White Juneating apple,
142, 144
SaSesfig 2c
yellow water-iris, 335
yellow water-lily, 336
\i/;i j __
74
545
Pied, 544
Water dock, 344
ivAarbcuies ngi 201
owl, 553
vvud geese, 529
rose-coloured convol-
Curates', 75
Ray's, 545
ferns, where grown . 43
poplars, 411
vulus, 281
ines, growth of, 185
, Wagtails, 544
grass, 332, 339
Stone turnip, 120
Will of Sir Nicholas
diseases of, 186, 192
Walcheren cauliflower,
ins, yellow, 335
willow moth, 484
Carru, account of, n
fungus of, 364
J JT
lily, yellow, 336
willow-tree, 415
William III., coins of,
grape, propagated by
: Walford, Mr., 428
white, 336
Whitethroat, 548
found at Beddington,
• eyes, 87
i Walk, Pear-tree, descrip-
pot, 61
lesser, 548
17
new varieties, how ob-
tained, 194
tion of, 38, 42
Apple-tree, 42
rail, 528
ranunculus, 339
Whortleberries, growth
of, 206
found at Walliagton, iS
Williams' Fon Chretien
propagation of, 194
i Walking leaf, 399
rat or vole, 518
Widgeon, 526 pear, 157
pruning of, 192
\Vall ferns, where grown,
snails, 452
Wild cherry-tree, 434 Favourite apple, 140
shoots, amount of po-
43
soldier, 41, 340
duck, 526 WiJliams, Messrs., 286
tash in ashes of, 50
Wallflower, Alpine, 324
Wallflowers. 226, 246
tortoise, 511
Waterfall, Crystal, analy-
WILD FLOWERS, 334 :- *?£*** Gem me'°n'
;NES, 185 : —
Wellington, account- of,
sis of water of, 30
Achillea millifoliuiu, Rev. John, first and
T> 1 0
15
Watering plants in the
338
present Incumbent of
Black Hamburgh, 187
Prince, 186
Monnukka, 190
Bowood Muscat, 191
Buckland's Sweetwater,
advowson of, 17
Bridge, its situation, i
its height above the
level of the Thames,
28
orchard-house, 72
principle of, 49, 50
Waters of chalk more pure
than other waters. 29
Waterworks of Caterham,
Alisma plantago, 340
Anacharis, 341
Arrowhead plant, 340
Arum maculatum, 343
bindweed, 342'
Holy Trinity, Walling-
ton, 17
Willoughbys.familyofthe,
at Beddington, 8
Willow bower, situation
188
called Waleton in
29
Briza media grass,
of, 39, 42
Canon Hall Muscat,
Domesday Book, 16
church at, 16
of South Essex, 29
Watevile, family of, at
339
bulrush, 335
Willow, creeping, 318
Willow-tree, 415
Chasselas M usque, 188
Chasselas of Fontaine-
bleau, 189
General de Marmora,
district chapelry of, 16
early records of, 15
Gothic chapel,described
by Manning ; its site.
17
Beddington, 7
Sibyl de, gave advow-
son of St. Mary's to \
Priory of Bermondsey, i
buttercups, 339
byrony 342
Calhtnche, 339
Chrysanthemum leti-
canthemum, 337
American weeping, 416
White, 415
Weeping, 416
Willows used for hedges,
416
190
Golden Hamburgh,
189
hamlet of, i
House, part of very
^William de, 14
Watney, Mr., cave in the
segetum, 337
Chrysosplenium opposi-
Wilson, Mr, 219
Wilson's filmy ferns
Ingrain's ProlifiV Mus-
cat, 187
ancient, 17 grounds ot, 19, 20
incumbent of the Holy j Wealden clay, where si-
tifolium, 339 372
common convolvulus, Wine-sour plum, 170
LadyDowne's Seedling,
188
Muscat of Alexandria,
Trinity Church at, 17
living endowed by the
Ecclesiastical Commis-
tuated, 25
Weasel, 521
Webb, Mr., of Calcot,
342 Winter aconite, 215
couch grass, 343 Greening apple, 152
Creeping ranunculus, Peach apple, 151
IOI
sioners, 17
197
344 savory, 129
manors at, and their
Webb's Rus-et apple, :
daisies, 339 Wire-cutters, 63
Raisin de Calabre
proprietors, 16
149
Datura stramonium, Wire-worm beetle, 468
189
mills of, 16
Weeds and. Wild Plants,
338 Wire-worms, 468
number of acres of, i
334
Dodder, 345 Wonderful strawberry.
burgh, 188
parsonage-house at, 17
Weeping ash, 417
duckweed, 339 j 183
Standish's Citronelle,
population of, i
elm, 410
Epilobium hirsutum,
Wood forget-me-not, 318
188
Roman remains found
poplar, 412
340
Leopard moth, 484
Sweetwater, 186, 187
Tottenham Park Mus-
cat IOI
at. 5
schools at, 17
Walnut, Dwarf Prolific,
willow-tree, 416
Weevils, 467
Well of Anne Boleyn. 27
ngwort, 336 warbler, 548
Flowering rush, 336 Wood, Messrs., of Mare-,
forget-me-not, 338 field, 270, 278
[Yentham Black, 187
Walthan. Seedling,
189
198
St. Jean, 198
Walnuts, growth of, 198.
new, at Croydon, ana-
lysis of water of, 30
old, at Croydon, analy-
frogbit, 336 Wood, Rev. J. G., 511
Gigantic parsnip, 342 Woodcock, 530
ground ivy, 337 Woodcote Farm, 6
^Vest's St. Peter's
propagation of, 198
sis of water of, 30
Hydrocotyle vulgare, Wood-lark, 544
180
Walnut-tree, 434
Wellington apple, 151
340 Woodlouse, 449
1^09
•Vhite Frontignaii
Waltham Seedling vine,
Duke a.nd Duchess of.
Ivy-leaved duckweed, Woodpecker, green, 539
188
189
43°
339 Lesser spotted, 539
Wandle River, analysis
Wellingtonia gigantea,
Lesser bindweed, 342 , Wood-pigeons, 532
ila comma, 223
adorata, 223
of, as it flows through
my Garden, 30
dimensions of one at
duckweed, 339 Woodroof, 127
Lythrum roseum, 336 Woodruff, 332
ilet, Czar, 222
a trout stream, its
Strathfieldsaye, 430
mallow plant, 338 Woodsia alpina, 377
Neapolitan, 222
'arker's Vellow, 223
course, 26
caused by the cracks
Wellington ias, pn . j
tion of, 431
Marchantia, 341 Uvensis, .177
Marsh marigold, 335 Woodsia ferns, 41
Russian, 222
in the chalk, 22
Wells' white rose, 278
meadow-sweet, 337 Weodsias, 377
ree, 222
how formed, ?8
Welsh golden rod, 319
moneywort, 337 Woodwardia orientalis
vhite, 222
sewage of Croydon
West's St. Peter's vine,
nightshade, 342 43, 383
'ellow, 222
sent into it, 31
189
ox -eye, 337 orientale, 397
)let garden, 44, 222
Warblers, 546
Wet bulb thermometer, 65
Petasites vulgaris, radicans. 43, 383, 396
>letteHative Nectarine,
(iarclen, 548
Wheat straw, amount of
344 Woodwardias, 383, 386,
'5
( Grasshopper, 546
potash in ashes of, 50
Potentilla anserina, 343 396
>lets, 222
Reed, 547
Wheat ear, 549
purple loosestrife, 335 propagation of, 88
U U
650
INDKX.
Woodward, Mr., Pref.,vii
Woollen materials some-
times used for manure,
the reason of it, 52
Wooster, Mr., 309
WORMS IN MY-
DEN : —
brandling, 448
dew, 447
earth, 447
green, 448
lob, 447
red, 448
GAR-
Wrens, 538
nests of, 538
Wrens, golden-crested,
54<3
nests of, 546
Wryneck 539,553
Wyken
149
Yam, 290
Chinese, 122
Pippin apple, propagated by tubers,
Yew-tree, 424
Hard
Xavier Olibo rose, 271
Xylaria hypoxylon, 356
Yeast fungus, 355
! Yellow Antwerp raspber Yorkshire
ries, 184
! Autumn raspberry,
185
azalea, 442
Yellow flax, 329
Magnum Uonum ph
170
poppy, 321
Yellow-hammer, 543
Yellow-tail moth, 484
Yew, 438
Irish. 424
fern,
i 380
Yucca gloriosa, 443
I Yuccas, 443
Yunx torquilla, 539
1 Zea Mays, 244
Zeuzera aesculi, 484
Zingiber officinale, i
Zinnia elegans, 242
Zonites crystallinus,
lucidus, 492
j Zoological Gardens,
I 4I7. 5i7
Zygnema spirahs, 34
R. CLAY, SONS, AND TAYLOR, PRINTERS, 1JREAL) STREET HILL.
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